The New and Old Tale of Court: The Courier Six
by Sgt.Crawler1116
Summary: Yet again another tale of Courier Six, but this time with a new fresh batch of companions. Follow Court Tempest as he faces the trials the Mojave has set for him, along some tales of his own. Starts off with the old New Vegas story you know and love, but with new characters and my own bends to the world and lore I thought would improve the story. One Chapter every week.
1. Chapter 1: Back on my Feet

_War. War never changes._  
 _Take a look at any history book, and you'll see, that for years, people have killed for the same reasons. Gods, greed, or so called "justice". That's how mankind started, and that's how it ended._  
 _When the earth just couldn't supply men with the resources their greed hungered for, nations went for each other's throats. Oil, coal, uranium, they were all excuses to push the button that would kill thousands, both the guilty and the innocent, leaving a green taint of radiation that would curse the land for years to come._  
 _But what seemed like the end of the world was just the beginning of a new one. Those lucky enough were selected to live in the safety of Vaults. Large, underground bunkers, funded by the government and designed to hold hundreds of people for decades, or even centuries._  
 _But the world that was waiting for them… well, it was not a forgiving one. Mutants, monsters, radiation, bandits and raiders. All plague the new home we call the Wasteland. While you might think the destruction we brought ourselves all those years ago would have woken us to what we are capable of, we simply cannot let go of our violent ways._  
 _The world may have changed, but war… war never changes._

Chapter 1: Back on my feet

The first thought that came to my mind as I woke up, was that I must have had one hell of party. I haven't had a hungover in a really long time, so maybe that's why my head felt like it was about to burst. Not to mention my body was sore all over. My muscles felt like iron, my bones were heavy, and my joints were like rusted machinery.

I tried to raise my head, but failed instantly. Why did I feel so weak and tired? I tried to raise once again, but ended with the same result. Change of plans, now I turned to my left, in hope of figuring out where I was. My vision was a little blurry, and everything seemed to move in slow motion, but as my eyes took focus, I started to make out my surroundings. There were multiple shelves around the room, all cluttered with things I couldn't really make out from this far. Directly in front of me there was a desk and a single chair. Between said desk and me was a small metal table with all kinds of medical tools and equipment, like syringes, a scalpel, stimpaks and... blood? There was a small and short cup, and the liquid inside was red, although a bit transparent, water maybe? Resting in the cup was pincer, perhaps the origin of the blood.

Am in a hospital? A medical clinic? Multiple thoughts flooded my mind, pushing out a short and weak groan. The groan did not go unheard, for it was followed by a "Hum?". I looked around for the source of the voice, and noticed the chair I mentioned was not really empty. A humanoid shape dressed in the same brown and yellow as the background stood up from it's seat.

"You awake?" The voice sparked in soft surprise. "How about that."

Whatever instincts that were awake kicked in and urged me to get up, and as I did, the world started spinning.

An old but somewhat smooth voice came from the shape. "Whoa, whoa, take it easy."

It grabbed me, helping me sit on where I once laid. "You've been out cold a couple of days now." He said as he waited for me to regain my balance. I took a good look at my helper, who was just a few centimeters from my face. He was a bald, 60 year old-ish looking man with a white mustache. The world finally seemed to speed up and stand still, which now allowed me to stay in place without risking to puke or fall down face first into the floor.

"Now, why don't relax a second, just to get your bearings?" He offered, making sure one last time that didn't need help with being seated.

I let out another groan, this one louder. "Ugh... wh-where am I? What happened?" I let out with a weak voice.

"Calm down cowboy, let me see what the damage is. How about your name, can you tell me your name?" He asked, ignoring my questions. I was too confused and slow to bother, so I decided to do what he asked.

Taking longer that I'd have wished, I replied. "Court, It's Court."

"Just Court?"

"Tempest. Court Tempest"

"Can't say that's what I'd have picked for you, but if that's your name, that's your name." He let out with a soft laugh. What that supposed to mean? "I'm Doc. Mitchell. Welcome to Goodsprings,"

Goodsprings? Where is the hell is Goodsprings. I went over my mental map, trying to find out where it was. Failing to do that, I tried to remember the last place I recalled being. I was... on a road, somewhere between...? No... I just couldn't remember. Everything was just so damn fuzzy, and it was infuriating! What is happening to me?

Before I could go on trying to recover any lost memories, the old man continued. "Now, i hope you don't mind, but I had to go rooting around there in you noggin to pull all the bits of lead out. I take pride in my needlework, but you better tell me if I left anything out of place"

He didn't let me question why would anything be out place, instead he quickly pulled a machine from a shelf to his right and handed it over to me. It was mostly flat, about 2 palms wide, and the front face was made up by 2 screens, each taking one half of the machine. The screen on the left seemed to show my reflection, and the other had multiple options I could cycle and select. On the top, it read Reflectron, with the RobCo. logo right above it. I looked at my reflection, first noticing that my stubble had grown into a short beard. It kind of went well with my somewhat long black hair, which almost reached my shoulder.

Thee first two options that showed up to me on the right screen were Male and Female. Its seems my curiosity was up and awake, because I clicked on Female. Suddenly, my reflection changed for the image of a woman. She looked somewhat familiar, and then I realized it was more than just that, and that the woman was actually me! The nose and some of the bone complexion looked the same, but they were slightly thinner, the skin was smoother, and of course, the beard was gone.

"I'm afraid that's a little out of my capabilities." The doctor laughed. "But if you are looking for a single tweak or a haircut, then I can arrange it. I'll just have to sedate you a little."

I massaged my face, not believing the sight in the screen, and felt my short beard against my palm. Ok, I was still a man. I just didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed that I made quite a pretty woman. I switched back to male, and soon my face returned as I remembered it.

"I-I think I'm fine" I stuttered, returning the Reflectron. He put it back where it was before.

"No sense in keeping you in bed anymore, let's see if we can get you on your feet." He reached towards my arms, throwing my left on around his back. I placed my feet on the ground, and slowly raised my body off the bed. So far so good, I thought to myself, but soon after, my head span and my vision went blurry, once again. If it wasn't for the aid I was being given, I would have definitely tumbled to the floor. After making sure I could stand, the doctor let go of me.

"Good, why don't you walk down to the end of the room, over by that vigor testing machine? Take it slow now, it ain't a race" He said while pointing towards a tall wooden box with a glass pane on the front. As I walked closer to it, (without much struggle, surprisingly) I made out a column of numbers, and words beside each one. To right of that, there was a drawing of the popular Vault-Boy, but he was wearing nothing but a small tong, and he was all jacked up and muscular. On the top was written "Vit-O-Matic" and "Vigor Tester" and around the drawing were more words, the most notable being Strength.

Below all that, there was some sort of handle, like one you would see on those old word arcade machines. I looked at the doctor, who just gave a little not. I guess I'm supposed to play around with it?

I took hold of the handle, but it wouldn't budge. Without me doing anything, the machine started rattling. Some numbers started glowing with light, and soon after, the drawing and pretty much all the words spun backwards, being replaced with new ones. Strength was replaced with Perception, then Endurance, then Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and finally, Luck.

"Oh I get it." I thought out loud. It seemed to measure me in different aspects, or attributes, and give me level of 1 to 10 on each of them. I don't know how, but the machine decided I was lacking when it came to Strength, that I had a rather impressive Perception, regular Endurance, high Charisma, low Intelligence (have to admit, that kind of hit hard. I wasn't the brightest bulb in the room, but I usually know what I'm doing.), and high Agility.

When the machine turned to luck, the numbers lit one by one. Starting on one, it went on until it reached 10. "That's not right, you already used up all of your points." The doc sounded surprised.

"Used? Is this thing supposed to redefine who I am or something?" I asked, a bit curious.

"No, of course not, the points are just used as a way to measure peoples characteristics. It makes sense, if you think about it, if you spend all your life exercising, you will have great strength and endurance, but it would be no surprise if you were dumber than a rock. Don't ask me how it measures Luck, but so far, everyone gained the same amount of points."

The machine made more noises, taking back our attention. The number ten went dark, followed by nine, then the eight and so on, until all were dark. A few seconds later, they all began lighting up again, and with another few seconds, dark, once more. The cycle repeated twice more, until the machine's creaks slowed down and it went completely dark. No more noise, no more spinning words, no more numbers lighting up.

I let go of the handle, looking at the doc with a worried face. Had I just broken his… whatever that thing was?

To my surprise he just looked over at me with a smile. "Well, at least most of your vitals are good, and that old thing was bound to break down sooner or later. But that don't mean them bullets left you nuttier than a Bighorner dropping."

"Wait, bullets? What bullets?"

"It's... just a figure of speech." He replied with a laugh not as soft as the one earlier. "Come, why don't take a seat on my couch so I can ask you a few questions?"  
-


	2. Chapter 2: Ain't that a Kick in the Head

Chapter 2: Ain't that a Kick in the Head

The tests that followed were as weird as the Vigor Tester machine, but at least nothing broke down. The doctor showed me pictures, asked questions and had me say the first word that came to mind after he said something. Being done with that, he went to the back of the house, promising to bring me something. I took that time to notice how nice the house was. Looked very Old-World, with mostly clean furniture and little decay in sight.

He came back with small duffle bag you could hang on your back and handed it over to me. "Here, these are yours. Everything brought to me along with you is in this duffle bag. I believe it contains your clothes, a switchblade, and a note. Now I hope you don't mind, but I gave that not a look, I thought it might help me find a next of kin, but it was just something about a Platinum Chip."

Those two last words echoed through my mind, waking up new memories I spent the last minutes trying to dig up. The delivery job! I had to take something to the New Vegas trip. Courier! I'm a courier. And a Platinum Chip was my package. Then what the hell was I doing in Goodsprings? "I'm glad you helped me recover doc, but I think you could help me some more. Let's start with how I got here."

He didn't answer straight away, staying silent for a minute. I couldn't help but feel uneasy, mainly when he looked to the floor then back at me.  
"Well, you might want to stay on that sofa son. These are gonna be some hard news" he went over to the room I woke up in, and returned with the Reflectron. The options screen hovered over the word 'scars'. It was unselected

"The Reflectron creates images of how you would like after certain alterations. It's used by doctors and plastic surgeons before and after the war, but makes for a nice way to avoid having to tell the news to patients at the wrong time." I couldn't help but look worried at him now. He then continued. "Hit the default button, and it will show you how you really look right now."

Following the doc's instructions, I jumped at the sight shown at the reflection screen. No! It can't be! I dropped the Reflector to my side and ran towards the mirror behind the sofa. And just like in the screen, I could see a round scar on the top left of my forehead, and another one off to the right side of my skull, leaving a white line of hairless skin. My long hair mostly covered the one on the right, but the left one was almost in full sight. The round and ragged shape on my skin had a small ravine crossing it diagonally. I would have thought I looked kind of cool and slightly menacing, if I were not so furious at the idea that someone had shot me in the head, twice!

"H-How... why…?" I was I shock, and it goes without saying I was angry. "Who's the motherfucker…" I stared at my reflection, being face to face with those black eyes filled with rage.

I turned my back and took a long stare at the doc. I could see he was startled, but I was too thirsty for answers to care at the time. He raised his arms in surrender and took a step back. "I can't promise to give the answers you want, but I can tell you what I know" he let out slowly, measuring each word.

"That would be much appreciated, doctor." I replied, trying and failing to calm myself down.

I was back down on the sofa I had sat on before. Doc. Mitchell had taken a seat on a comfy chair, and he looked me in the eyes while describing how I got to him. "It must have been the middle of the night when I heard loud knocks on my front door. I hadn't fallen asleep yet, but you can be sure, even if I was, I would have jumped out of bed. Victor, the fella that brought you in has a really strong arm." So, this Victor seems to be the guy who found me. I made a mental note to ask about him later before doc continued. "I quickly got you to the bed, since you were bleeding all over the place. There was no mystery to the cause of your injuries, so I removed the bullet on the left and stitched up both wounds. Didn't need to pull no bullet from your right, it went straight through, ripping some skin and skull. After you stopped pouring like a fountain, I cleaned you up and let the stimpaks do the rest of the work. Two days later and here we are."

"This guy you mentioned, Victor, did he tell you anything?"

"No, he did not." The doc quickly replied. "As soon as I was done with you, I turned around to where he was, but the guy was gone. Although you can ask him anything yourself. I wanted to give him some questions myself, but I just didn't have the chance, considering I had a patient that could wake up at any time and all." There was a certain edge to his voice.

I guess my little display of rage gave him the impression I lose my temper easily. I don't blame him, but he's gotta excuse me for that one, I did just find out I got shot in the head. Not the most pleasing experience of my life.

"Where can I find this Victor you mentioned?" I asked, this time with attempting a friendlier tone, but I'm sure it just ended up coming out cold.

"Once you are out, look for him on the south side of town, lives in a small shack over there. He ain't a hard fella to miss. You'll know him when you see him, just be on the lookout for… **something** with a western attire." He emphasized the word "something", leaving me slightly curious, but not enough go ask.

The room stood in silence as I thought about everything Doc MitcheIl told me. I don't know how much time passed until he decided to break it. "I hope what I told can be of any use to you." He paused to think for a second. "Actually, I can tell you more. I doubt anyone wandering the wastes goes around without any weapons or caps, so I'll take a gamble and say the fellas who put two in your head took whatever valuables and useful supplies you had, am I correct?"

"I don't really remember what I had on me, but I doubt I would be this naked." I checked the duffle bag, and all I really had were clothes, a switchblade and the delivery info.

"Then go over to the Prospector Saloon once you're out there. Look for a girl named Sunny Smiles, she'll help you get ready for the world." He recommended, feeling a lot more calm than before. "Although probably not for free."

"Nothing's free in this world, I guess." I said, smiling at him. "That reminds me, how much do I own you? I gotta pay back for saving my life." I offered with full honesty. I'm not a medic, but it must have taken a good couple of stimpaks to mend me back up.

"Don't you worry about a thing son, it was my pleasure, saving a life. Besides, I ain't low on caps, if that worries you. Being the only with medical know-how in town is truly a blessing.

"Come on, I'll just feel bad if I leave with a debt unpaid." I argued. "Let me at least help you with something."

Seeing that I wouldn't give up, Doc Mitchell shook his head and laughed. "Heh, alright son, tell you what, with being a Courier and all, if I ever need something delivered, I'll keep you in mind. How about that?"

"It's a deal then." I simply answered.


	3. Chapter 3: Goodsprings

Chapter 3: Goodsprings

"Do you mind if I ask what you will do now? You seem to be a Courier, so will you just head back to Primm, get back into the business?" Doc Mitchell asked as he escorted me to the front door.

"Yeah, I guess so" I lied in response. "Not much I could do"

"Hum" he let out as a mysterious and questioning hum. "Well, since you gotta start again you might as well have these." He reached into a shelf just before the door. From it he pulled a pistol, a Colt M1911A1, chambered for .45 ACP. It was a regular sized pistol, made of a silver-colored metal, while the grip was mostly covered in a soft and checkered brown wood. While not anything special, it was a pretty world war classic. It didn't look like it had seen much action though. Doc Mitchell gave me one magazine. He then laid another 2 magazines on the shelf. It was then that I realized I had nowhere to place the pistol and its mags, because I was still wearing the silk shirt and boxers I woke up in.

I made my way to the bathroom, and in a minute or two I was back in my old clothes. Leather boots, thick jeans, an ammo belt across the hip and shoulder (good for carrying all types of ammo), a white cotton shirt, covered by a leather jacket (with plenty of pockets for more storage) and over all that, a leather duster. Around my neck I had a red handkerchief I could use a mask to protect my face against the sun or sandstorms. It might seem like overkill, but the Mojave Desert is windier than you think, so the cotton shirt allows for enough ventilation, while the rest made up for a decent light armor. Nothing that would stop bullets of course, but it was enough to keep me safe from the harsh conditions of the wastes.

Doc Mitchell threw me a impressed look "Now we get you a hat and you'll be looking like one them cowboy fellas from them old western flicks" He pointed out.

"You ain't the first to say that doc." I mentioned, looking at myself in a mirror. I was far from the prettiest motherfucker in the wastes, but at least I had some style. "I actually lost my hat a while ago, taken by a damn sand storm."

"I'm sure you'll find a replacement soon enough." He assured me, handing me my bag again.

I was about to put the it away when I felt a small object inside. I pulled it out, quickly realizing what it was. "My necklace…" A steel chain hanged a .44 magnum bullet with black tip, and it had the letters 'C.T.' engraved on it's side. I took a long nostalgic look at it before hanging it on my neck and dropping it under my shirt.

I then placed the pistol on a holster hanging from my right hip and the extra mags in ammo holster, also on the hip belt, opposite to the gun. I was about to say my last thanks and goodbyes, when Doc Mitchell reached once again towards the shelf.

"I've been meaning to give you something else". He pulled another machine, but this time it wasn't flat like the Reflectron. At a first glance it looked like a large brownish pipe, but as he brought it closer, I recognized a screen, buttons, what looked like a geiger counter and some other tech shenanigans I didn't know about. The most interesting thing though, was the seal on the opposite side. It looked like you could open it to wrap the whole thing on something, like a rail or… an arm.

"Whoa, what is this?" I asked, trying to figure out what the machine was.

He smirked before answering. "This here is Pip-Boy. They gave one to everyone in them Vaults I grew up in. It's not of much use to me now, but I think it can come in pretty hand out there. Here, lemme show you how to put it on."

He opened the large wristband and placed it around me left arm. Once he connected the seal around my arm, the Pip-Boy beeped and fastened up tightly, a little too much actually. I also felt a slight sting, right under the screen. "Ouch. I think something bit me."

"Oh don't you worry, that's just the Pip-Bot doing it's magic. Don't worry if it feels tight, it should loosen up in a second." He explained to me.

And loosen up it did! Once I didn't feel like my bones were getting crushed, I messed around with the buttons and a little wheel I could use to scroll through the options. From a minute of exploring, I was amazed by all this thing could do. It monitored my body and how healthy I was, from keeping track to injuries to warning me if I needed food or water. Like the Vigor Tester, it leveled what it seemed to call S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. Each attribute was in par with what the Vigor Tester scored me, and just like before, Luck was going crazy, with the numbers rapidly changing. There was also some yellow bar, opposite to my 'health bar' (which apparently measured how hurt I was), labeled AP. I had no idea what it meant, and decided to figure it out some other time.

Somehow, the Pip-Boy also kept track of my equipment, showing me the clothes I was wearing, the pistol and it's ammo, the switchblade in my bag and even the note in my pocket. Another thing that would in handy was the map, and I finally got an idea of where Goodsprings was. I could also do more basic things like write notes, check the time, set an alarm and some more. There was also a radio tab, but I decided to mess with that later.

"You might not want me to pay for the medical treatment, but I'll just feel bad for accepting all this for free, doc. You gotta let me repay you, somehow." I wasn't just being polite, I couldn't live with myself if took someone's belongings for free. That's what thieves and raiders do, and I wanted to be as far as I could from that.

"Relax son," He told me, resting on hand on my shoulder. "I've lived a long life trying my best to survive out here in the wastes, and I know how much these things I've given you will be of help. Matter of fact, I wish I had met someone like me when I was your age." Before letting go, he gave me one last and reassuring smile.

"Jesus doc, you're a saint aren't you?" I complimented him with a friendly laugh. One day, I'd give this place a visit and pay Doc Mitchell for all he's given me. That's a promise.

I should have seen that coming. I was deep in a sleep for days, and the last hour of being awake had been spent inside a house with all the windows and curtains shut. No wonder I was completely blinded by the bright sun of the Mojave Wasteland. It took a while for my eyes to adapt and refocus, and I was just glad I wasn't blind.

I was met with the view of the small but charming town. To my left, the main street stretched from one end of town to the other, going up the hill on the western end, and joining the I-15 to the east. In front of me and heading right was a street that branches off the main one and heads south. Two buildings north of the main street caught my attention. The closest had a sign that read 'Goodsprings General Store', and the one next to it was the previously mentioned Prospector Saloon.

"Well, I guess that's a good place to start." I said to myself.

Making my way down the small hill Doc Mitchell's house sat atop, I messed around my Pip-Boy some more. Turns out there's a radio function, where I could listen to some of the few stations on offer. Memories of me listening to Radio New Vegas as I travelled popped up in my head. It was a great station, with it's interesting and charismatic radio host, Mr. New Vegas, and it's roster of classic songs. Personally, I'm a good ol' fan of some country tunes, but I'd never turn down some sweet jazz and blues.

I was almost about to reach down the main street when a distant and strange noise got my attention. It sounded like something being dragged or rolled against the gravel of the road, so I turned to it to identify the cause of the sound. In the distance, a blue shape was headed towards me, coming from a wood and metal shack in the southern part of town. It was taller than a man and it weaved from left to right, walking… no, rolling along the floor. I didn't have feet, instead, it was supported by single large wheel, like a unicycle. From the wheel, a short cylindrical lower body widened up to form its large torso with wide shoulders, almost like the letter T. Two long and thin arms had claw-like hands that swung back and forward as it moved. It was definitely a robot, but of a model I've never seen before. Protectrons, Eye-Bots, Mr. Handy's and a few others are all over the wasteland, but this one is new to me.

When it got close enough, I recognized a screen on the middle of its upper body. On it was a cartoony man wearing a hat and handkerchief, and smoking a lit cigar. A cowboy?

No, it can't be!

"Howdy there, pardner!" Said the machine, with a happy and enthusiastic voice, along with a strong western accent. "Might I say you're lookin' fine as a fiddle."

I just stood there, looking at what was apparently my rescuer. I didn't have anything against robots, but couldn't imagine one capable of saving someone at their own will. "So you're the one who pulled me out of my grave?" I was finally able to ask.

"That I did pardner," He replied. "no need to thank me though, always happy to help a wastelander in trouble."

Well shit, I'll be dammed. Never imagined I'd be saved by a robot of all things, but you don't look a gifted horse in the mouth, do ya? "Many thanks, friend." I told him, genuinely glad, but somewhat suspicious. "Now, I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering if there are some questions you could answer for me."

"Ask away friend."

All the questions I had in mind came to my tongue in a rush. Taking a deep breath, I just went ahead and picked one at random. "How did you happen to find me?"

"I was out for a stroll that night when I heard the commotion up at the old bone orchard." He pointed up at a hill, a little far behind the saloon. Atop the slope was a water tower, and some fences surrounding it. "Saw what looked like a bunch of bad eggs so I laid low." Robots go out for nightly strolls? Sure, I'll swallow that pill for now. He then continued. "Once they'd run off, I dug you up to see if you were still kickin'. Turns out, you were, so I hauled you off to the Doc right quick."

"Well I appreciate that, thanks." I replied. Maybe that's what really happened, but I wanted to hear more about this story. "Did you take a look at who shot me?"

"Can't say I did, sorry pardner, but trying to take a good peak would have been a mighty awful idea." His screen flickered as he spoke. "You see, I ain't a hard fella to miss." He laughed at his own joke, wobbling up and down at each laugh.

"So you have no idea where they might have gone?" I kept on inquiring.

"None at all. But you might wanna have a word with Trudy, at the saloon." His voice peeked. "If they ever passed through town, she'd be the one to know."

Those were all the important questions I wanted to ask, but I was curious about one other thing, so I thought I might as well ask when I had the chance. "Never seen your model before. What kind of robot are you?"

"I'm a Securitron RobCo security model 2060-8." He said proudly. "If you ever see one of my brothers, tell them Victor says howdy."

"Will do." I answered quickly. Not that I was really going to do it, but being polite with the robot seemed like a good idea at the time. "Well, thanks again for the save, and now for the info. See you around Victor"

"Happy Trails!" He wished me before turning on his back and rolling the same way he came. What a strange fella, that guy. I knew for a fact he wouldn't leave my head for the rest of the day, I mean, it can't just be coincidence that he found me, right? Or maybe it was, and I'm just complicating things. Just relax Court, you have a long day ahead of you. It's still nine in the morning, and maybe if I gather enough info to pick a trail on the guy who shot me, I can get moving before the sun sets. Alright, not to the saloon.

As I walked down the streets and up to the establishment, I caught a quick glance of an old man sleeping on a chair on the porch outside. I didn't get a long look, but I could have sworn he had some dynamite strapped to his belt. I dismissed the idea and made my way inside. As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted in a rather strange way than one might expect.

"Woof, woof! Grrrrrrr." The dog that ran up to me barked and growled.

"Whoa, hey, calm down there buddy, if you bite me, I might just bite back." I raised my hands in surrender, but I don't think the dog got the idea, cause it just kept on barking.

"Cheyenne, stay!" A female voice shouted from across the room. I looked up from the dog to see a young girl approach us. "Don't worry, she won't bite unless I tell her to"

"Guess I have nothing to worry about then." The dog turned around and sat down next to the girl.

She had bright brown hair, almost ginger, that was tied into a ponytail. Her body was covered in brown leather clothing from top to bottom, and I could see a rifle hang off her back. "Unless you cause trouble, no need to drop a sweat. Although with the head outside, that sure does seem impossible huh?" She pulled a white piece of fabric and wiped her forehead. She was right, it was indeed incredibly warm outside, but my duster helped protect from the heat. Now I just needed a hat.

She popped up a very wide and warm smile, to the point that it was a little irradiating. I remembered about the girl Doc Mitchell told me about and made the connection "Are you by any chance Sunny Smiles?"

"What gave it away?" she laughed. "Don't answer that."

"I ain't saying anything." I raised her my hand towards her. "I'm Court, nice to meet you."

"Likewise." She said, taking the hand and sharing a nice shake. "Now, I don't believe we've met before."

Oh, we haven't , but Doc Mitchell told me about you. Said you'd be the one to talk too in case I needed a job." I quickly explained to her. "I just happen to looking for anything that can get me supplies for a long trip"

Instead of replying, she took her hands to her hips and chin, and looked me from head to feet. "Yeah, I see you are packing light. You must be that patient Doc was taking care off. That's a mighty scar you got there." Just as she said that, my hand automatically went up and patted the left scar. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it. "You've gotta be one of the luckiest fellas in the wasteland."

My mind shot back to the Vigor Tester and the Pip-Boy, and how they couldn't measure my Luck. "Maybe, who knows. Still, I don't want to rely on luck, so guns, medicine and caps would be nice. I don't have anything to offer, but perhaps I can help you, and then you can help me." A simple exchange of services for goods, one of the oldest forms of trade. When bartered well, it never fails, and lucky for me, I'm at bartering.

"Well that depends, how good are ya' with a rifle?" She asked, crossing her hands and straightening her back.

I think I ended up smiling more than I wanted to. "I'd call myself a good shot."

"We'll see about that." She challenged, smiling back. "I think there's something you could help me with."

While Sunny went to the back of the saloon, I took at seat at a stool over at the counter. Two man sat in a table by the windows behind me, and engaged in a low talk. The radio played "In the Shadow of the Valley", giving the room a calm and melodic mood. Rows of drinks and cups sat at shelves on the opposite side and the wall they hanged from was coated in a mirror, with some broken areas and a little dirty, but mostly intact. Two thought were stuck in my mind: How thirsty all that alcohol laying out in the open made me, and how much I needed a hat. I knew for a fact it would go well with my outfit, matter of fact, I've been using one for my whole life until I lost it. I'm sure I'll miss it even more once I'm out travelling under the burning sun.

I thought back to the drinks, sad that even if I had the caps to buy a one, the bartender was nowhere to be found. Neither was that Trudy Victor mentioned.

A little later Sunny walked back to the main room, holding a rifle and three magazines in her hand. She placed them in the counter in front of me. "Here you go, this should do the trick."

I identified the gun as a Varmint Rifle, a small, 5.56×45 caliber bolt-action rifle. I took it in my hands, resting the wooden stock on my shoulder, and aimed it in no particular direction. It was nothing impressive, it actually left a lot to be desired. The wood was worn out, risking to give me splinters, and the metal looked rusted. Nothing a little love and care couldn't fix, but despite the rifle caliber, I won't be hoping to kill any Deathclaws with it.

"So, what's on today's menu?" I asked. Hopefully no radscorpions were involved, I'd need something bigger to pierce that armor.

"Geckos, nasty vermin are all over our water pumps. Almost clawed poor Andrew to death when he went down to get a bucket." She replied. "I was gonna have to take care of them one way or the other, so it's nice to have the extra help."

"Alright, I'm ready when you are." I said, loading one mag into the rifle and storing the rest. "What's my reward?"

"You get to keep the rifle and the ammo, plus 2 extra mags I can throw in later, sounds good?"

"Sounds just fine to me." I responded, pulling back the bolt and loading a round.


	4. Chapter 4: Humble Beginnings

Chapter 4: Humble beginnings

Heading south of Goodsprings, Sunny, Cheyenne and I strolled quietly under the bright sun. The water pumps weren't far, but it would take a short walk. I was never a guy for long and awkward silences, so I decided to get some conversation going.

"You figure anyone in town might be willing to spare me something to cover the head?" I asked, half joking, half serious. It was hot, in fact, it was very hot. Sunny had gotten herself a straw hat before we left, but I still roamed with a naked head. So truth be told, I was mostly serious.

She let out a soft laugh. "I don't know, folk really value their shades around here. I wouldn't hope too much."

"Yeah, I figured." I replied, a bit disappointed. Speaking of the folks, I saw some farmers attend to their crops and animals before we left, and a few people strolling the town, but it wasn't a lot of movement. Guess I shouldn't expect a lot from this small countryside town.

We walked a couple of steps more before I broke the silence again. "Earlier today, before I got to the saloon, I met that robot, Victor. Strange fella, isn't he?"

"He's nothing but strange." She sparked. "Shows up a couple years back, I think ten, fifteen, I don't remember correctly. He settles in that old shack and spends all his days and nights just rolling around. He claims Goodsprings is "as good of place as any"." She said that last part in a poor imitation of a robot's voice, granting me a small giggle. "And don't bother asking anyone what he did before he moved here, cause he doesn't know it himself" she continued.

I tilted my head a bit, in confusion. "What do you mean? Like, as if he forgot?"

"That's right. He keeps saying he just can't recall anything about his life before Goodsprings. You ask me, I think that's a load of Brahmin crap. But who knows, maybe he's got a few screws loose." She was calm despite the small instance of foul language.

Seems like the cowboy look isn't the only thing Victor and I have in common, but we both don't remember what came before Goodsprings. I mean, I don't have full amnesia, I recall everything until I entered the Mojave for this delivery job. From that point on, it was just a fuzzy mess of chopped memories that didn't make any sense to me. Most of my time was spent on the road anyway, so I doubt there's much even worth remembering, with the exception of the moment I was attacked of course.

Who knows if I even had time to see that I was going to get shot. Maybe I was caught hit by surprise or from afar, and didn't even get to see the shooter. All I knew is that I was probably attacked at close range, since the caliber I was hit was clearly small, and two headshots are no easy tasks from afar.

"So, what do you for a living?" Sunny took her turn to ask and broke me from my thoughts. "I mean, you mentioned you are gonna go for a long trip. You from somewhere far or is drifting from place to place part of the description?"

"A little bit of both, actually. Home is miles away, but I don't think I'll be getting back anytime soon. Matter of fact, I think the road is my home now. Ever heard of the Mojave Express?"

"Who hasn't heard of them." She responded, with a pint of irony. "You want something delivered, that's who you contact. So I take it you are a courier?"

"Yep." I simply said, because her question sparked one of my own. Was I still a Courier? After all that's happened, I couldn't think about just going back to delivering stuff. I couldn't think of anything really, besides what I had set as my goal ever since Doc Mitchell told me what happened. This gecko hunting, it was just a means to an end. I had to get out there in the wasteland, but not with my current equipment. After this is done, I had another goal in mind.

Find out who shot me, and return the favour.

"There they are" Sunny whispered, signaling for me to stop. We both dropped down on our stomachs on top of a hill, while Cheyenne stood quietly behind us. Down the slope were five geckos, each doing their thing. Three fed on a bighorner corpse, while the two others shrieked at each other, as if they were in a very serious argument. If you've never seen a gecko, let me spare you of too many details: they are some ugly little fuckers. They stand on two feet and are about half the size of an adult human. From their fat, little, scaly bodies, two clawed arms and a tail hang out. Worst part about them is their face, with a large mouth going from ear to ear, filled with pointy teeth. Not to mention those weird… I'm not sure what they are, but they look like fins you can find in a fish. They seem to be their ears, I don't know, and I couldn't be sure, I just want to get this over with.

"What's the plan, boss?" I asked, placing my sight between one of the arguing geckos. He and his friend were the closest to us, so they should be the first ones to go down.

"Think you can take out those two, the ones closer to us?" she replied, as if reading my mind.

"Sure can do. And I can do better than just the two, how about we have a little competition, if I kill more than you, you buy me a drink?" I suggested. I won't lie, I was thinking of those drinks ever since we left the bar. If I could get just sip of a fine whiskey I'd be set for the day.

"I rather not play around during work, but I won't turn down a challenge. Although I should have made you shoot some Sarsaparilla bottle to get an idea of your skills." Smart one isn't she? Well, I guess the game is on. "You ready?" She finally asked.

I didn't even take my eyes off the gecko to answer. "Just give the word, I already have my target."

She rested her shoulders on the ground, aligning her rifle with the geckos feeding off the carcass. She inhaled deep, and as soon as she finished letting all that air out, a loud thundering boom echoed off the maze of hills and ravines. Her gecko got hit in the cheek and fell dead to the ground.

My shot followed right after. The bullet hit the back of my target's skull, immediately throwing his limp body to the ground. As me and Sunny pulled back the bolt of our rifles, loading new rounds into the chambers as the Geckos growled loudly at us, and started dashing towards the hill.

Good news: The slope down from where we were was a vertical wall, so they had to go around to get up here. Bad news: the edge did not look safe at all, and we risked falling off if we got too close, so it was ideal that we took them out before they hugged the walls and circled us.

Two shots, two hits. My gecko clenched his belly, fell to the side, and lied there, bleeding out. Sunny wasn't so lucky, her shot hit her gecko's shoulder, and while he flinched for a second, he was soon running again, right behind the other one. The one ahead seemed to be faster and a little bigger than the others.

She let out a "Damn it!" and attempted to pull the bolt, but she was to slow.

Up, back, forward, down. Those are the directions I lead the bolt of the rifle to load another round. I already had already taken aim at the wounded target and squeezed the trigger, giving that gecko a bullet to the chest.

Despite our best efforts, the last gecko reached the hill. We could hear him gurgle and screech as he ran east. His sounds got lower, and I assumed that was because he took distance.

We both stood up, turning towards the direction he went. I picked my rifle with my left hand and quickly pulled my pistol with the right one. Aiming towards the eastern side of the hill, where it leveled with the ground below, we both prepared to face the creature as soon as it popped up.

Sunny was still wielding her rifle, the sights at eye level. She let out a whistle and nodded her head forward. "Cheyenne, sniff him out, tell us where he is girl!"

The dog placed her nose on the ground and started sniffing. Seconds went by, but nothing happened. The gecko shouldn't be taking this long. While Cheyenne used her superior smell, I decided to use my hearing. I could hear the wind, our breathing, my heart pounding against my chest, the rattling of rocks behind me… wait, that's not right.

Before I could react, Cheyenne started baking, not at something in front of us.

I turned around to see the last Gecko pop his head over the edge of the hill as he finished his climb. "Oh you sneaky fu-." Before I could complete that line, he jumped me.

Thankfully I reacted quickly enough. I dropped the M1911A1 and brought the rifle in front of my face as it brought me to the ground. It's mouth was trying to bite trough my gun, the only thing stopping it from reaching my face. It clawed and kicked in attempts to get me, but I held it back. It didn't last long though, cause a grey figure zoomed above me, taking the gecko with it.

I stood up with a jump, and dropped my jaw at the sigh. Cheyenne pinned the little monster down, biting it right in the neck. She let go for a second, and blood poured out of the wound, but just immediately brought her teeth down again, this time biting the chest. The gecko winced and trembled, trying to shake his attacker off, but it was all in vain. After one or two more bites, and it stopped moving.

Cheyenne let go off the corpse and looked at me, blood dripping of her mouth and teeth as her tongue hanged out of her mouth, going up and down as she breathed heavily. She looked happy, as if she didn't just cruelly murder that gecko like it was nothing, but I guess that for a dog, biting the shit of some juicy meat that threatened his owner and her friend was as well as a day could go. But I don't know, never owned a dog.

I couldn't leave that cute face staring me all day, so I walked over to her and kneeled, petting her head and neck. "Oh, who's the good girl who just saved my ass? You are, yes you are!" Sunny poured out a loud laugh, looking at me as if I were crazy.

"What?" I asked. "don't tell me you wouldn't congratulate her if she saved your life."

"I would, but I wouldn't talk to her it as if she were a baby. She is grown enough for a mature celebration. Talking about celebration, come on, let's get back to the saloon, it seems like I own you a drink."

 _Author's Note: So, I hope you've been enjoying Court so far, but I just wanted to drop by really quick and say a thing or two. First, any criticism you have (and I know there will be many) will be heard and reviewed. Like I said in my "bio", I'm very amateur and can't wait to improve. And since English is just my secondary language, I struggle with finding new words that could mean the same thing or used in the same situation (answered, responded, replied etc.), so if It looks like I'm repeating myself, let me know and help me improve by expanding my vocabulary. Basically, any tips and tricks are welcome. In the end, I'm happy to see the things I come up in my free time float around the interwebs for people to see. I think it helps me build character and helps me improve myself. Once again, enjoy Court and his upcoming crew, I hope they bring you hours of entertainment. :)_


	5. Chapter 5:Big trouble in little Goodspr-

Chapter 5: Big trouble in little Goodsprings

We didn't leave the water pumps straight away. Sunny handed me some water bottles she pulled out of her sack and asked me to fill them up. Meanwhile, she skinned the geckos, wrapping up the skin and the meat in plastic bags. Once I was done with the water, I handed them all to her, but she insisted I keep one.

You keep that, and take some of this meat too." She threw me a plastic bag containing two meal-sized chunks of gecko meat.

"I thought the gun and the ammo were the reward." I asked, surprised with the gesture.

"They are, but I decided you could with some more for the road. Now that the geckos are gone we won't have trouble getting water, so you can take that bottle and refill it as much as you need. Besides, I never liked gecko steaks anyway, so you can have some." Sunny finished skinning the last corpse, and we made our way back to town.

"You people must be doing fine, being able to give so much to a stranger. First Doc Mitchell, now you. A rare sight, seeing a town whose biggest problems are a couple of geckos."

"Oh, geckos are not our biggest problem these days. Trading used to be much better a while ago, but after that pack of Deathclaws moved up north, no more caravans from Vegas and it's neighbors pass through." I recalled hearing a story like story like that somewhere… maybe it was on the radio? Yeah, the mining town of Sloan was having problems with a large group of Deathclaws. But those news were recent, I could only have heard them when I was on the road, heading to Vegas for the delivery… was my memory coming back?

I felt for Sloan and Goodsprings, but mostly Sloan. Sure, losing people to trade with was bad, but living right next to a bunch of Deathclaws? I don't think I could sleep.

"Well, guess it could be worse." I thought out loud without realizing. "I-I mean, it's a damn shame, but I don't reckon it will kill anyone."

"I guess so…" She wondered off. "There is that other matter…"

"What was that?" I asked, curious why she didn't continue.

"Oh it's nothing. You wouldn't want to get involved." She said softly. I didn't want to pry, so I left it be, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was left curious.

The walk back was once gain short and uneventful. Sunny, Cheyenne and I arrived into town just after noon. We headed straight into the saloon, and were met with loud voices coming from the main bar room.

"I'm done being nice! If you don't hand Ringo over soon, I'm going to get my friends, and we're burning this town to the ground, got it?"

The voice came from a dark-skinned man, wearing what looked like a riot vest, the kind you see old-world police wear, over a blue shirt. The letters "NCRCF" were written in white over the black vest, and the jeans he wore had red smears all over. Probably blood, so I tensed up. He looked angry and pointed his finger at the woman he talked to. He poked shoulder her at the end of every sentence, trying to make her angry. I didn't seem to work though. The woman looked at him with a stone cold face, emotionless.

"We'll keep that in mind." Her voice was stiff, giving an authoritarian vibe. "Now, if you are not gonna buy something, get out."

The man turned around and made his way to the door, stepping heavily on the wooden floor. He bashed his shoulder against mine, definitely on purpose.

"What are you looking at?" he asked angrily, but didn't wait for a response. Instead he left through the front door.

Ok, what was going on here. Whatever it was, it probably has something to with the "that other matter." I noticed the small crowd of curious bystanders that had formed around them had not moved a muscle.

The woman looked around and shouted. "Show's over people, get a drink and forget this sorry excuse for an argument." Everyone did as she said and dispersed. Whoever she was, it looked as she had some influence in the townsfolk.

Sunny tapped me in the shoulder and nodded towards the stools. I took the same seat I took this morning, but Sunny didn't sit, instead she headed to the back of the saloon once again.

The saloon was slight populated. Three men played pool in room behind the counter wall, while 2 tables were occupied with pairs of people. I heard one of the two behind me mumble something about standing up those "no-good sons of bitches".

The main actress of the "show" I just witnessed walked behind the counter, opposite to me. She rested her arms over it and gave me a soft smile. "Hello there stranger. Welcome to the Prospector Saloon, I'm Trudy, owner of this fine establishment, and kind of a town mother. What can I get ya?"

Town mother heh? Now that's an interesting title. "Nothing for now, I'm waiting for someone to join me. If she's willing to keep her word, she owns me a drink. Name's Court by the way." I replied. Her eyes met my forehead and grew slightly in surprise

"You must be that poor fella Doc Mitchell was patching up! So it's true that you got shot in the head. Doc must be really be as good as they say to pull you back from the dead." A man sat two stools from my left and called her. As she went to serve him, I kept the conversation going.

"He truly did me good." I let out with a sad smirk. I couldn't help but fell bad for taking all that time and resource from him, just for him to give me more on the way out, with the only reward being a vague promise of a favor. Maybe I wouldn't have looked back years ago, but I was different man back then.  
I forced myself to think of something else, which led me to the big question. "Anyone new stroll into town the last couple of days. Someone who might've been looking to cause trouble?

She stared at the ceiling, trying to recall. "Well, they didn't looked too packed for a fight, but some Great Khans came into town, escorting some rude man in an ugly suit. Tried to get a couple of rounds on the house, but I got them to pay." She said, proud of that last achievement. I didn't get much from what she said, if anything the new info only made me more confused. Last time I heard, the Great Khans were a glorified raider gang with a bad rep with the NCR. Didn't know they took escort jobs.

"Well is there anything more specific you could tell me? Like how they look like, maybe a name?" Hopefully they slipped something and Trudy managed to catch.

"Most wore Khan uniform, nothing that makes one stand out, but there's the guy in the suit." Her eyes focused on nothing, and she brought her hand to her chin "Ugly thing, but looked expensive. It was black and white, with the colors on a checkered pattern, like a flannel shirt."

Sadly, that didn't mean anything to me, but I wasn't gonna give up easily. "What about where they were heading. Did you hear anything?"

"Matter if fact, I did." I immediately grew on my seat. Finally I could get a direction. "They were having some kind of argument about it, but the guy in the checkered coat kept shushing them. Sounded like they came from the north, through Quarry Junction. If that's the case, I can't blame them for not wanting to come back."

I recalled the conversation I had with Sunny. "Quarry Junction? Sloan is settled there, right? I hear it's full of Deathclaws."

"Travelers avoid that stretch of the I-15 like it's radioactive. Which could be for all I know."

"So where are they headed?"

"I heard the leader mention the Strip, so if he wants get there and avoid the 15, he'd have to go east and take the Highway 93 north."  
I decided to look at my Pip-Boy map later to make sense of all the intel. I had a small idea of what the Mojave Wasteland looked like, but not enough to remember names, roads and landmarks alike.

"Thank you, Trudy." I gave her a smile. "Being the bartender has it's perks doesn't it?"

"Lotta things folk say when they're drunk." She smiled back. "I hope you get the guy who did this to you, lot of troublemakers out there."

"Ain't that the truth. Now that you mention, who was that guy earlier, the one making threats?"

"Don't you worry about that Court. He was just some idiot with more bark than bite." She sounded calm at first, but she let out a forced smile I barely noticed. I really shouldn't be getting involved, I didn't need the extra trouble, I could just take what Sunny owns me and head out I not only had a lead, but there was a stop I wanted to make on the way.

Sunny was taking a while, so I looked for a distraction. The room was awfully quite, the only noise coming from a few voices and the sound of the pool game in the other room. Wait, wasn't there music earlier?

"Hey, Trudy." I called her. She finished serving someone and turned to me "Wasn't there a radio here? I think the room could use some tunes."

She frowned. "One the Great Khans knocked it down. Now the thing won't even turn on." I immediately saw an opportunity, and decided to take it.

"Maybe I could take a look at it, I know a thing or two about electronics." You roam around long enough, you learn plenty about pretty much anything useful.

"I guess it can't hurt" she pulled the radio from behind the counter. I first noticed that the casing on the back was dented, probably where it landed when it fell. It came off pretty easy, so I started to rummage through the insides.

The reason its stopped working was very simple: the internal wire that feed the power had snapped. I connected the broken ends of the wire and bended them together. "Hey Trudy, you got any duct tape?"

"Hold on, I'll get it for you." she walked over to the back room and came back with what I asked. Using the tape to isolate the exposed wiring, I closed the radio again and placed it back on the counter.

Once Trudy plugged it in, the radio came to life, playing 'Heartache by the Numbers', finally giving the room a better atmosphere.

"Oh thank God." She sighed in relief. "I don't know what I would if didn't come along."

She stepped in front of the cashier and pulled some caps. She then came back to me and dropped them in front of me "Here, for the repair job."  
I chuckled, a bit embarrassed. "No need for that Trudy, it wasn't anything complicated."

Her voice turned serious, showing she meant business. "It was complicated enough that no one here could fix, so it's still a job that deserves payment."

Guess there was no arguing with her. "Alright, I'll take it. But just so you know, duct tape is a miracle worker but it's not very reliable. I suggest you replace the wire I fixed completely."

"I'm not completely sure how that's done, but I'll figure it out, thanks." She said, satisfied.

I stored the caps away in my duffle bag before getting back to the music. Not a second later Sunny walked into the room and took a seat next to me, placing three mags and three 5.56×45mm NATO rounds on top of the counter. "There you go, as promised."

I raised an eyebrow and asked. "Thanks, but what are the bullets for?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you fired three shots today. I know how inconvenient it is to walk around with a half empty mag, so I decided to spare you of the pain." She nodded her head towards the rifle on my back. "Load her up."

I removed the loaded mag from my rifle, and added the new bullets. These folk impressed me. "You people think of everything, don't you?"

"Wouldn't survive if we didn't" Trudy said, getting into the conversation. "Now, what will you two have?"

"She's paying, she chooses." I said, pointing my thumb towards Sunny.

She chuckled . "How much can you take, cowboy? Don't know about you, but I like mine strong."

I turned to Trudy with my cup in my hand. "Give us something strong then. Whatever the lady likes the most."

Trudy went to the end of the counter and returned with a large bottle of moonshine. After she was done filling the shots, Sunny and I made a toast and chugged the drink. After we were done, we both slammed the cups upside down on the counter. The burn going down my throat was strong, but pleasing. I'll admit, my eyes threatened to tear up for a second. It was strong drink, not made for soft drinkers, but me, being on the road for so long, alcohol was a familiar face. Every pit stop usually ends with me in a bar, unless it was late. The only thing more important than drowning your sorrows in whiskey is a good night's sleep. It's important for a courier to have his energy.

I let the drink sink into my stomach. Taking a deep breath, I looked around. For as much as I wanted to stay and enjoy the rest of the evening, I also wanted to get back on the road. "I think its high time I took off, I want to use as much sunlight was I can before it gets dark."

"Where are you heading?" Trudy asked, cleaning the cups we used with a wet rag.

"Primm. There's a Mojave Express office there, hopefully I can figure out something there. At least figure out if I'm fired for losing the package I was supposed to deliver."

"Oh, so that's why they shot you?" Trudy asked.

I looked at her, confused. "What?"

"The package, did they shoot you for it?" She asked again. My expression remained unchanged, so she took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "If fancy-pants and his gang of well dressed raiders were really the ones who tried to kill you, don't you think they are a bit too organized for the regular 'kill and steal random travelers' thing?"

Shit, no wonder I scored so low on intelligence. What Trudy said made some sense. But if she was right, why rob a casino chip? How did they even know I had it? I've probably asked myself that before, but why even order the delivery of something so small and insignificant. What was it doing so far away from Vegas anyway? This whole situation was strange, it made my head hurt.

Like headless radroach, I stood there, leaving Trudy's question unanswered. I turned around and slowly made my way towards the door. I needed to get to Primm, get answers, find out if the chip was worth getting shot at. I stepped outside and started making my way towards the main road, which lead to the I-15, but was interrupted by a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, calm down, let's talk for a second." I looked behind me to face Sunny.

"Look, Sunny, I grateful for all the help, but now it's time I take care of business" I before I could continue my leave, she pulled me back again.

"Alright, hear me out. I meant to ask you this earlier, but kept on delaying. A deaf mole rat can see that you have a lot to deal with, and I don't even hope to understand what's going on with your life, but..." She looked down to her feet and released a long sigh before continuing. "But we need your help."

Once again, I just stood there like an idiot. I recalled the argument earlier in the saloon, pinpointing that as the problem she need help with.

"Trudy and a few others won't admit it, but Goodsprings is in trouble, and we need a professional to help us." She looked back at me with wide eyes.

"Wait, me? Come on, what kind of trouble do you have that you think I can solve? I'm a courier, unless you want something moved from point A to point B, I'm afraid I won't make much of a difference." Looking back now, I was being a little humble, I was good at some other things, and it seems that my other skills did not go unnoticed.

"Are you kidding me? I've seen you shoot today, you are just as good, if not better at it than me. But your speed... damn are you fast. You make a Varmint Rifle look like a machine-gun." Her voice sparked. Flattered by the compliment, I chuckled, avoiding her gaze. I was starting to put the pieces together and my slow brain was able to figure out what Sunny wanted me to do.

"The town is getting hit, and you want me to protect it." I finally said.

"Not just you of course. Me and Ringo will be there for you. Maybe we can convince some of the town folk to help too!" she was obviously getting hopeful.

"Who's this Ringo?" I asked.

She scratched her neck. "Well, he's kinda the reason we got into this. He ran into town a few days ago, while you were out in Doc's care. He claimed he was being chased by Powder Gangers and needed a place to hide. We pointed him to the old gas station west of town, and sure enough, a few minutes later, Joe Cobb, the guy arguing with Trudy earlier, walks into the saloon with some friends, demanding Ringo and making threats. We tried to play dumb, but he didn't buy it. That or he's just making an excuse to take over the town."

"Powder Gangers?" I asked, trying to recall where I heard that name before. Didn't they have something to do with a prison? "Where have I heard about them before?"

"Probably on the radio." She answered. "South west of here there was a prison, or correctional facility, as the NCR likes to call it, where they held the prisoners who worked on a railroad that was supposed to connect the Boneyard and New Vegas. The idiots thought it would be a good idea to give dynamite to convicts, and expected them to use it for clearing stone and rubble only." She scoffed at the idea. "Yeah right, as soon as the NCR need more solider on the front against the Legion and pulled some from the prison, the criminals pulled a violent jail-break. Now they made the place their home, and are sitting on a large pile of rustic explosives."

"If that true, you expect the few of us to handle an army of criminals that the NCR couldn't?" The NCR was what passed as a government from most of California to west of the Colorado River. Except they lack basic things a government is supposed to offer, like safety, infrastructure and a corruption-free system. I could go all day babbling on about politics and the war with the Legion, but I'll leave that for later.

"We are not fighting all of the Powder Gangers. Joe and company act independently, like most of them. They are still a bunch of petty criminals, I don't think they could organize properly if their lives depended on it." Despite the danger Joe Cobb was, Sunny looked very confident. Was she brave, or just cocky?

"There's something in it for you." She continued. "I can't pay you much, but I'm sure that if you use your words nicely, you can get some nice stuff from the folk around town, things that can help with the fight, and you get to keep what's left. Not mention Ringo might be willing to hire you."

My mind speed through all the scenarios. The food and supplies sure were inviting, and so was the place to stay. My biggest fear was that if my killer had left a trail, it would grow cold. it took a lot of thinking, but I came to a conclusion.

"Let me talk to this Ringo and the rest of town. If our chances look good, I'll help. How's that?"

Her eyes grew so large I thought they'd pop out of her skull "Thank you, thank you so much! I'm sure you'll get the aid we'll need. Come to my house when you're done, I'll talk to Jones and Wilson, I think they might be willing to help.


	6. Chapter 6: Ghost Town Gun Fight

Chapter 6: Ghost Town Gunfight

The rest of the afternoon was spent going up and down through Goodsprings. Sunny gave me a list of people who could be of help, and I began looking for the straight away. First was the old man I saw sleeping in front porch of the saloon earlier. He went by the name of Easy Pete (God knows why) and to my surprise, he was still there, sleeping in the same chair. This time I could confirm, he did have a stick of dynamite on his belt. Turns out he was a miner, so he's got plenty of them home. He was hesitant on giving me some, but after proving to him I knew how to handle them, he gave me three, along with a matchbox to light them up.

Second on the list was Chet, the Goodsprings General store owner. He was a bit hard to convince, claimed there was no "financial gain" to supplying me with anything unless I bought it. I had to carefully explain there was more gain in helping me than getting his shop blown to hell by crazed gangsters with more explosives than Easy Pete. I walked out of the shop with reinforced leather pads I placed on my arms, legs and around my chest, all of them under my clothes. They weren't too uncomfortable, and could save my life under certain circumstances. Wouldn't stop a direct bullet, but they could soften up hard blows or protect me from cuts and bruises.

Soon after I made Doc Mitchell another visit. I didn't even need to try to convince him, after hearing my story, he immediately told me to send whoever decided to fight to his home. He'd give each a stimpak to use during the fight, and he also gave me a doctor's bag on my way out. It contained everything you needed to cauterize a broken limb, at least enough to keep it moving until proper treatment could be given.

There was just one person left on the list, so before I went to Ringo, I decided to see Trudy.

"I'm sorry, but this is a fight I'm gonna have to avoid." She didn't even look at me. It was clear she wanted to avoid that conversation.

"Come on Trudy, people look up to you, it's obvious you're some kind of town mother. You join in, some might come along." Trying to convince her to join the fight was not going well. She didn't even need to shoot at anything, all I needed was her morale boost. "Besides, the saloon would make for a great defensive position"

"I'm sorry, but this saloon is my life, and I value my life. Call me coward, I don't care, nobody is making me risk my neck and nobody will turn the Prospector into a shooting gallery. If Joe Cobb wants trouble with me, he can sure as hell come in here." she didn't want to hear anymore of it, so she left the counter and walked to the back of the establishment, leaving me alone in the bar room, listening to " _Mack the Knife_ " on her radio.

Well, so much for that attempt. After the song was over, I headed straight towards the gas station. It sat atop the hill behind town. It's broken windows were barred with wooden planks, with old and rusted cars in front of the entrance. Next to the convenience store's door was an old Sunset Sarsaparilla machine. I gave it a kick, and to my surprise, a bottle rolled down to the bottom opening. Since the machine ran out of power decades ago, the refreshing soft drink was warm. I stored it in my bag, planning on drinking it once I found a way to cool it. The door was unlocked, so I just strolled in, but froze with the familiar sound of a pistol hammer.

"That's close enough. Who are you, and what do you want with me?" A voice came from the end of the store, it's owner hiding in darkness. A 9mm Browning Hi-Power stood out from that darkness, pointed directly at me.

"If you're gonna aim a gun at someone, make sure you're willing to shoot." I simply said. A risky move, but I picked up from the man's voice that he wasn't too confident about what he was doing/

"I can shoot, but maybe not you." He raised the hammer and lowered the gun. "We got off on the wrong foot, I'm Ringo, and I hope you can still answer my question." The man walked out of the shadows. He looked about my age, had brown hair combed in a wave to the side and wore regular caravaner clothing, along with googles resting on his neck, flannel shirt and hip bag on his side.

"Name's Court. I'm the guy you want hire." I tried to look as confident and menacing as I could, but there wasn't much to help. I looked like your regular Mojave wastelander, with leather clothing and second hand weaponry.

"Hire you? What would I want to hire you for?" He said, curious.

"Protection. Sunny told me all about what happen." His eyes grew a bit when I mentioned her name.

"You a friend of Sunny? Good." With that, he looked less tense. "I guess I can really trust you then."

I crossed my arm and rested against the shop's counter. "What did you do to piss Joe Cobb off?"

"Survive, that's what I did." He looked me straight in the eye, showing me that whatever happened was serious. "About a week ago, me and two bodyguards were passing the I-15 east of here, where we got attacked by Joe and his crew. Explosions went up and killed everyone but me. I ran as fast as I could, eventually reaching this town. I think the rest of the story you already know."

He didn't look as shaken as I would have been from going through all that, but maybe it was because he already had a week stuck in this gas station to grief. "I'm sorry for your loss." Was all I could manage to say. I looked around the shop, trying to make more sense of the situation. "How come Joe didn't just barge, shooting up the room?"

"He probably wouldn't even make it to the door, and even if he did, all his friends would be dead. Best thing about this place is that it gives one hell of a sight." He pointed and one of the barricaded windows.

He was right, the gas station overlooked the entire town, and then some. Anyone who tried to go up the hill could easily be shot from the windows, and it was backed up to a steep mountain, so no one could approach it from behind. And since the building was made of concrete and not wood, I doubt even their dynamite would do any significant damage unless they were willing to use all they've got.

"Good set up." I said, turning back to him. "But you can't stay here forever. But I can help you get out here."

He sat down on a wooden box by the left wall and kept in silence, thinking. Finally he looked back at me. "I don't have any money on me right now, but if you ever make your way to the Crimson Caravan, up on North Vegas, I can pay you good caps."

I wasn't surprised to find out that he worked for the Crimson Caravan. Most caravaners did, since the NCR-Legion war put the roads at risk, along with the Powder Gangers, Fiends, regular raider gangs and now courier hunters (or something). With the bodyguard service and other perks, more and more caravan companies have been selling their names to the Crimson Caravan, which ran them all over the west.

I had think hard on taking this job. Risking your life for others was serious business, a job not to be taken lightly. Should I put my neck on the line, now that just returned from the dead, with the main reward being a faraway promise? It took me a little while, but eventually I made my decision. "Alright, I'll take the job."

"Alright, so what's the plan?" He asked, a little more agitated than before.

"Have a seat, I think I have this thing worked out."

The sun was about to set in the horizon. I sat on crate that laid on the main road, close to the edge of town and in front of the Prospector Saloon. I could see Trudy didn't approve of us setting our barricades so close to what she called 'her life', but she didn't really complain.

The barricades were composed of three groups of wooden boxes. Each large enough that 2 people could take cover safely. The trick was that the boxes were not empty: we filled them to the top with sand. Hopefully our enemies would waste a few bullets thinking otherwise.

In my hand I held the Sunset Sarsaparilla I got earlier, now cold from staying an hour in Sunny's refrigerator. I asked her how come no one had taken it from the machine before, and the story she told was rather peculiar. Apparently the Sunset Sarsaparilla stands all over Nevada and Arizona get refilled from time to time. Legends say some old guy called Festus does it, but no one know how or why. (She did say a trader met an old guy from Novac who claimed he saw a robot fill one of the machines during the night, but the old guy was supposedly mad in the head).

The taste of cold root beer was welcome after the long, hot day. Ringo smoke a cigarette with two other man, which I recognized as the ones who complained about the town not standing up to Joe earlier in the saloon. Sunny presented me to them as Jones and Wilson, and they were here to help us fight. One had a Varmint Rifle, like mine, the other, a .38 short revolver. Not necessarily military-grade stuff, but it would get the job done.

As I watched the beautiful horizon, two distant shape grew in the distance. I put down my drink and grabbed my rifle. Ringo noticed my movements and took his hands to his pistol. He and the two other man followed my lead and took their guns out. We soon realized it was Sunny and Cheyenne, but we still kept our guns at since she seemed to be running really fast. She left town earlier, wanting to be the one to spot the enemy before they got to town, and if I had to guess why she's running, I'd say she spotted them.

"Look alive, the Powder Gangers are here and they look ready to play!" she said under a heavy breath.

"How many did you spot?" I asked, running into cover with her. To my left Ringo and Jones took cover behind the boxes in the middle, and Wilson behind the ones to the left of them.

"Eight, all with guns, with the exception of two." She checked her rifle to see if it was fully loaded (of course it was, but better safe than sorry.)

I turned to the others and shouted. "Five armed, two with melee. Don't let them get close, so don't hold back any ammo." The five of us kneeled and stood behind cover, with our heads and guns peeking out. i quickly looked down at my chest and grabbed my bullet necklace. That thing had been with me through many dangers and challenges, so it gave me reassurance before a fight. I twisted it around and rubbed my fingers over the "C.T." inscribed on it's side. It's something i do every time I fear for the worst, since it really calms me down.

In less than a second, three silhouettes came over the horizon. Gunfire erupted, all my companions opened fire. Before they could return it, I held my breath and took my shot. The silhouette to the right fell, but he was followed by two more. To the left the two remaining Powder Gangers came into sight, and I was able to take a good look at the enemy.

The two closest had melee weapons in hand: a tire iron and a baseball bat. Behind them I recognized two Varmint Rifles, a 9mm pistol, a single barrel shotgun and finally, safely at the back, Joe Cobb held a... Son of a bitch!

I quickly lowered my head, as a thundering blast erupted, followed by the sound of air being cut right above me. I knew I wouldn't survive a direct hit from that revolver, so instead of taking aim above cover, I circled the box to shoot from it's left. I tried to shoot at Joe before he could shoot at me, but missed. Damn it, he was moving around fast and was pretty far. From the corner of my eye I watched one of the gangers with a Varmint Rifle get taken out. Ringo and the others were doing pretty well.

I looked over to Sunny as she loaded another round. I gave her a slight nod, and she returned the gesture. At the same time, we peeked and fired. The guy with a tire iron fell to my bullet, and the last Varmint Rifle fell to Sunny's. Things were going well, until I heard a distant hiss, which could only mean one thing. I took a quick look and watched as a dynamite flew in an arc towards Ringo and Jones.

"Ringo, watch out!" I shouted as loud as could.

"Jones!" Wilson shouted after me.

Ringo dashed towards Wilson's cover, but Jones was too slow. The explosion engulfed him, destroyed their barricade and knocked Ringo onto Wilson, who grabbed him as he fell and laid him safely behind the boxes. Ringo wasn't moving, but he didn't look hurt.

As the dust from the ground and the sand from the destroyed boxes settled down, we were given a horrible sight. Jones body laid near me, his left leg missing, blood and gore all over the dirt. His skin was burned and you could see his insides. If had stared for any longer I would have puked my guts out, so I shook my head and swallowed hard, putting my focus back into the action.

" **Fucking assholes!** " Wilson roared at the top of his lungs. He had his .38 revolver on one hand and Ringo's pistol on the other. He was being both brave and stupid, but his loud battle cry and constant fire forced the enemy to scatter.

I took the opportunity and opened fire. With the two bullets left in my gun, I took down the 9mm and the baseball bat, both of which were closer than I would have liked. I rested behind my box and reloaded, looking over to Sunny at my side. She was ready to take aim, but as soon as she did, a bullet ripped her right shoulder. She screamed as blood poured out of her wound.

I grabbed her and pulled her close to me. "Shit, hang on." I grabbed the doctors bag from my duffle bag and took a bandage roll from it. I was about to wrap the wound when I realized it was deeper than it looked. The bullets passed right through her shoulder, from one end to the other, and probably scratched some bone. No wonder she was shouting and groaning, I doubt she could move it. Ok, I've taken care of big wounds before, so she should be fine after I was done. Wilson still had ammo so he could keep us covered for a little longer

I wrapped the bandage with a lot pressure, granting her enough pain to scream again. "I know this was bad, but hold on, cause it's about to get worse." I looked her in the eye as I spoke, and pulled a bottle of alcohol from the doctor's bag. "Ok, ready?" She bit the sleeve of her shirt and nodded.

All the gunshots going off were not loud enough to cover her scream. The alcohol should stop a superficial infection, but we needed to get that wound closed. An entire minute went by before she began calming down, and once she stopped rocking left and right, I grabbed a stimpak from her hip and pulled the top off, revealing it's needle and stabbing it next to the wound. If you had the luck to never need to use a stimpak, let me tell you, it's a miracle worker. It's an odd looking syringe, with a gauge on top that shows you how much of the medicine is left in the syringe, but that is ultimately useless, since you always end up using all of it. And about what it does, well, it basically speeds and enhances the healing process of the body. Sunny wouldn't be getting back in this fight anytime soon, but by tomorrow she should have nothing but a scar.

Once Sunny began calming down, I took my attention back to the fight. Joe Cobb and the Powder Ganger with the single shotgun were the only hostiles remaining. They attempted to flank Wilson from his left, but were now cowering behind a rock due to his constant rain of bullets. Sadly that rain ended soon. The revolver clicked, meaning it was empty, and a few shots later Ringo's pistol did the same. Joe's last friend noticed how the firing has ceased, and tried his luck. Unlucky him, because I had already unholstered my pistol, and was ready to shoot. Two shots went off, one hit him in the shoulder, and the other, in the middle of his chest. He felt to a clump behind the rock.

"Fuck!" came a voice behind the rock. Ringo was the last man standing, and there were only two ways this was going to end.

"Stand up with your hands in the air, let's make this nice and easy." I said, not leaving my aim from the rock.

"Screw you!" he simply shouted.

I sighed at his stubbornness. Of course this dickhead wouldn't give up easily.

"Look Joe, all your buddies are dead, you are outnumbered and outgunned," I quickly turned my eye to Wilson, who had reloaded his revolver was aiming at the rock like me. "I'm not gonna kill you since it's up to my employer to decide what to do with you." Speaking of my employer. "Wilson, did check on Ringo?" I whispered to him, still aiming at the rock.

"Yeah, don't worry, he's still breathing, probably just passed out." the man replied. What a relief.

I raised my voice back to Joe. "It seems my employer is unavailable right now, so I'll leave your fate to the townsfo-"

Before I could finish, Joe jumped out of cover and began aiming straight at me. His move caught me by surprise, sending a strong chill down my spine. How did I not see this coming? Time slowed down as my mind raced through all the possibilities. Should I shoot him in the arm, legs, chest, head… wait, how did I have time to think all this? I looked at Joe Cobb's hand fearing for the worse, but realized time wasn't just slowing down.

It had stopped.

The following events were just a collection of madness. Just as no one seemed to me moving, I couldn't move either. As my eyes focused on different parts of Joe's body, they highlighted in a yellowish blur, as if they were covered by a terminal (or computer as some call it) screen. Left leg, right leg, torso, right arm, left arm, head, and strangely, his revolver, each could be highlighted separately. As they highlighted, a percentage number appeared by their side. What the fuck' was the only thought in my mind, but before I could question this craziness any longer, a voice began speaking.

"New user detected." It was a cheerful male voice, coming from nowhere no way I could pinpoint. Matter of fact, it seemed to come straight from my head. "Welcome to Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S. Allow me to teach you the basics of V.A.T.S. First, select the desired amount of targets and limbs you wish to attack. Then, simply exit the system, and watch the action happen! This way, you'll be sure to deal with any shootable or smashable obstacles you find out there. Here at Vault-Tec, your safety is our number one priority!"

Getting shot in the head must have really fucked me up. What, you are telling me I can freeze time and just shoot Joe Cobb in the, I don't know, the arm?  
As I finished that though, Joe's right arm flashed with the percentage 78% next to it. Time suddenly sped up, and before Joe could raise his arm any further, my gun arm motioned as fast as humanly possible towards Joe. My finger pressed the trigger and a bullet ripped his forceps.

"Argh!" he tumbled backwards, clutching his new wound.

"What the hell?" I asked my self out loud.

I glanced over to Wilson, whose jaw looked like was about to fall. "Whoa, nice shootin'." He sparked, but our attention soon returned to the man in front of us.

Joe began to turn around again. Once more he raised his gun towards us, but Wilson and I gave him no chance. A shot to the chest and one to the head, and Joe Cobb was finally done.

(Battle Report: 5 Powder Gangers/ Joe Cobb. 1 Varmint Rifle mag, 2 .45 ACP rounds/ no injury.)

The people of Goodsprings stood in a circle around an empty grave that was about to be filled.

We were atop the hill Victor pointed to earlier, the one where he found me. The night sky was clear of clouds, granting a beautiful view after this grim day. As they lowered Jones's coffin, Wilson gave a parting speech about all the good times they had. To the left of the funeral mob, eight new graves were made, with a Powder Gangers buried in each. They may have been criminals, but the people of this town were too good to leave any man or woman unburied.

I watched the funeral from afar, next to another empty grave, but this one would remain empty. "They didn't even bother to make it deep." I sorrowed as Sunny approached me. "I doubt I could fit there."

"Don't suppose you're willing to try it out?" she joked, but with a serious tone.

"Wouldn't want to get my clothes dirty. Besides, it's reserved for someone else." I said, looking down to my hands.

I held the thundering revolver Joe Cobb tried to kill me with. It was a Colt Single Action Army, A.K.A. The Peacemaker. A classic six-shooter, commonly seen in cowboy comics and holotapes. Isn't it appropriate for me? Not only did it fit to my attire, but it reminded me of home, where almost everyone had one of these. Except this one was different, it had been modified. The Peacemaker usually uses .45 Colt, but those are rare to find these days, so it has been modded to chamber .357 magnum, giving it more of a kick to it. I couldn't help but fall in love.

Along with the bullets Joe had on him, and some I bought from Chet after the fight (using the caps Trudy gave me plus the major discount Chet offered), I had a total of eighteen bullets for it. With the 4 mags (20 bullets) for the Varmint Rifle and the 3 mags for the M1911A1 (I refiled the mag I spent), I believe I'm ready to leave and head out towards Primm.

Tomorrow of course.

I holstered the revolver on my belt behind my back. Sunny was about to ask something, but had to stop to follow me as I made my way down the hill back to town. "Wait, so you're really going after the man who tried to kill you?" she finally managed to ask as she reached my side.

"Of course." I simply responded.

"But… if they managed to kill you once, they could do it again." she said, making an obvious observation.

"This time, they won't know I'm coming." I pointed out. The element of surprise had won me many fights before, I would sure win me another one.

"But you don't even know who you are dealing with. It might have been some Fiend leader, or just some random bandit who had the drop on you."

"It could have been Caesar or Kimball for all I care, I won't simply leave this be." I couldn't let someone shoot me and get away with it. Besides, I had a delivery to finish, and they stole the package.

She slipped a low sight. "Well, excuse my choice of words, but it's your funeral."  
-


	7. Chapter 7: Sit and Dream

_Chapter 7: Sit and Dream_

 _White. Everything was white._

 _Everything wasn't much though. The room I was in had only it's four walls and a ceiling lamp. I didn't seem to have a way out, no doors, no hatches, no passages. It was like I was inside a giant box. I didn't question where I was, it just wasn't relevant at the time. All I knew is that I had to be there, something important was here, even though there was nothing._

 _I was on my knees, hands crossed behind my back. Nothing held them together, but I didn't seem to care for moving them. That was the case, until I blinked. For less of a second of darkness, four mannequins appeared out of nowhere, and now stood in front of me. One in the front, the other three behind in a horizontal line._

 _Despite the rather unnatural occurrence, I just stared at them, like they were the most normal things in the world. I blinked again, and now, the mannequins in the back were clothed. All three wore dark sleeveless jackets, blue jeans and a few pieces of metal armor on the shoulders and arms. The forward mannequin was undressed, but now it's arm was raised, pointing towards me with a closed fist._

 _Of all things, the raised hand sent a chill down my spine. Something was wrong with that, never mind all the other weirdness. I had a feeling that I had to move, to get out of here, but for some reason I couldn't move an inch. I felt stuck, frozen in place, and couldn't turn away from the mannequins. Then I began to hear wind, at least I first thought it was the sound of wind, but as it got louder, I realized it was actually a voice, a distant one, getting closer, but echoing around the room._

 _"-you were after, pay up." I could barely make out those words, but it seemed to be a male voice. New voices started talking, but they were also distant. They slowly got louder and louder before fading away again._

 _"-kill people without looking them in the face-"_

 _"-last delivery kid."_

 _All these came from the same voice, also male, and they became louder and clearer by the second. Also, instead of echoing, it seemed to be narrowing down to one place, somewhere in front of me. My eyes suddenly itched and burned, as if someone threw sand in them. "Argh, damn it!" I cursed, closing and opening them repeatedly. Soon they recovered, but the sight in front of me was different. The mannequins in the back were now lined up side to side with the one in front, which was now dressed, in a checkered black and white suit._

 _My heart stopped, my eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. I tried to shout, but no sound came out of my mouth. My hands, previously free behind me, were now tied by a rope. Panic was pouring all over, fear had taken control. I looked around, hoping to find something, someone to help me, but the room was as empty as before. When I looked back, the raised hand was not empty anymore. A golden Browning High Powered 9mm pistol laid in the front mannequin's hand, its fingers wrapped around the grip, and one in the trigger. It aimed straight at my forehead, just a couple of inches from it._

 _More whispers echoed around the room, this time getting louder and louder. I couldn't make out any words, because they were loud enough to give me a headache. But from one second to another, the voice stopped, and the lights went out, leaving the room in total silence and darkness._  
 _*Flick*_  
 _A little spark popped in front of from the mannequin's head._  
 _*Flick*_  
 _The spark rose again, but this time with a flame that remained lit for a second or two, lighting the mannequin and the lighter it held on it's left hand. A lit cigar now hanged from the mannequin's head, where the mouth would be. A minute that felt like an hour went by. All I could hear was the burn of the cigar and my heavy, nervous breath. The cigar dropped and rolled on the floor, stopping just an inch from me._

 _"From where you're kneeling, it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck." One of the voices said. A shoe was brought down on the cigar, putting it out. I looked up, my gaze running up the white pants of the man in front of me, passing the white and black checkered suit, and settling on the face. The man, aiming the same gun the mannequin held earlier, had short black hair, combed to the side in a suave gambler style. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and was pretty clean, by wasteland standards._

 _With a soft smirk in his mouth, he looked down at me and brought the tip of the pistol to my forehead. "Truth is… the game was rigged from the start."_  
 _ ***BANG***_

"Hey, Court, hold up!" Ringo and Sunny reached me as I was about to leave town. Seems like I can't get rid of these people. Not that I didn't like them, quite the contrary, but I wasn't willing to stay a day more.

"You leaving without saying goodbye?" Sunny rested her hand on her hip. "I figured you were better than that."

"I just didn't wanna wake you up." Which was the truth really. I value my sleep more than most things, which only made that nightmare more of a pain, not only for being disturbing as hell, but for also waking me up early. I didn't know what to make of it. At first I thought my imagination took what I knew about my attempted murder, and turned it into a nightmare, but now… the more I think about, the more real it feels.

Ringo barged in the conversation. "That's mighty nice of you, but you wouldn't want to leave without your reward." He pulled a small bag from his bag, obviously filled with caps, and handed it over to me. I took it with a suspicious look. "What was all that about not having any money on you?"

"Any good caravan owner has money on him, all the time." He said with a proud smirk. "I just didn't know if I could trust you. But this isn't everything. Come find me in the Crimson Caravan HQ if you ever find yourself in Vegas, and I'll give you the rest."

"I'll remember that. Good doing business with you." We shook hands before I turned to Sunny.

"I guess it's good-bye then." I shrugged. "Says who? You can always end up having to deliver something here." She gave the warm smile she was famous for. "Might even ask for you myself."  
-


	8. Chapter 8: More Town Troubles

Chapter 8: More Town Troubles

The road to Primm was mostly uneventful, and that was thanks to my Pip-Boy. This thing was full of surprises! From a certain distance, it could somehow detect people and animals that had hostile intentions towards me, and displayed them with a red mark on compass at the bottom left corner of the screen.  
With it, I was able to sneak past two Powder Ganger camps along the I-15. It was worth noting that one of the guys was sitting down and didn't show up on the compass until he stood up, and that made me wonder if it could only detect things moving or that were not laying low.

I could confirm my suspicions later on, when I passed an abandoned car and a baby gecko jumped out from behind it. I hadn't seen him on the compass a second ago, meaning that he must have been sneaking. Reflexively, I pulled out my pistol but stopped when I realized he wasn't coming for me and was instead running away. I glanced at the Pip-Boy and noticed his blip was yellow, and not red. So it could register non-hostiles too, nice!

The rest of the trip was had no interruptions. I had already made my distance from Powder Ganger territory, so I didn't run into any more camps, and spent the rest of the walk whistling along to some tunes on the radio function. About three hours of walk had passed before I saw Prim on the horizon. It was a small town, somewhat bigger than Goodprings, with more than just low-leveled buildings. This one had proper buildings, ot high ones mind you, the tallest was probably The Bison Steve Casino, with 5 floods and a roller-coaster that passed the last floor (no, before you ask, the roller-coaster didn't work anymore). The interstate cut the town in half, passing under a bridge that connected both side of town, the right being a residential area, and the left, commercial.

As I neared the town, I spotted a flagpole on the entrance of the residential buildings. White served as background with a red stripe crossing horizontally on the bottom. Most notable was the iconic two-headed bear, whose second head looked to the left top, where a red star stood valiantly. Below the mutant bear, the name of the west's most dominating government spread from left to right.

New California Republic.

"Hey, you!" Someone shouted down the road, where a roadblock of sandbags and jersey barries had been made. "Where do you think you're going?"  
The speaker was dressed in brownish-green fatigues, with a body armor of same color, and on his head, a green park ranger hat. Goggles, commonly used to protect your eyes from sandstorms, sat on top of the hat. The left chest plate of the armor had a small version of the two-headed bear and the star, and 'NCR' below them. He was sitting on a chair behind the sandbags, but stood up as I approached.

"Good evening soldier!" I shouted back, and kept walking towards him. He wasn't dumb though, and pulled up his standard AR-15 Service Rifle. He didn't aim at me, but it was clear he wanted to send a message. "I hope you'll let get into Primm, I have some urgent business there."

"Primm is off limits to any unauthorized personnel, those are my direct orders, so stay clear." I stopped a couple of feet from him. Getting him angry or cautious was not my intention. "And why is that?" I asked.

"The escaped convicts from the NCRCF ran into town and have taken over the commercial district." He waved his gun east, where the other side of town was. "We've set a perimeter, and we now contain the situation, so I ask that you don't disturb our operation." I crossed my arms and gave him a scolding look. Contain the situation you say? "Why haven't you taken down the convicts already?"

He seemed to trip back with my question. "We, er… it's not up to me to discuss mission details with a civilian. I'll not ask you again to turn around and leave." He now raised his gun higher, but I could see him sweating from here.

I stepped forward, and he took aim at me, but before he could speak, I shouted. "Look pal, I really need to get in that town, so much that I won't let any NCR rookie or Powder Ganger asshole get in my way, so let's make a deal. You take me to your commanding officer so I can have a talk with him, and nobody gets hurt." If he looked worried before, now he seems just about to cry. He swallowed hard, but held himself together and tried to muster an angry face (he failed by the way). "Who you calling a recruit! I could just shoot you right here and now, and tell everyone that you tried to pull a gun on me. No one know it was a lie."

I couldn't help but laugh. "But it doesn't need to be a lie, pal." I unholstered the M1911A1 and aimed at him from the hip. The idiot just stood there, slack-jawed. "You asked for it!" he shouted, pressing the trigger.

*Click*

"Wha-?" he pressed again.

*Click* *Click*

"Shit, why won't you-" he pulled the charging handle on the rifle, letting a bullet fly out from the side, and tried to fire again.  
*Click*

"What the fuck?" he was getting desperate, shaking and banging the rifle on the sand bags. I started moving closer to him, and I was about three steps from the guy before he noticed. He dropped the rifle and reached for his pistol, but before he did, I gave a little dash, resting the muzzle of my pgun on his nose.

"Reach for the sky, rookie." Which he did, without hesitation. "I thought the NCR gave their men enough training to know how to operate a gun." While his hands hanged high above his head, sweat dripped from pore and his expression was pure fear. He then went from panicked to surprised when I holstered my gun back. He just kept staring at me, still with his hands up, as I reached behind the sandbags and grabbed the rifle he dropped.

"Here, you better hang on to this." He still just stood there, looking at me, same pose as before. I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes. "Look, I'm not gonna hurt you," I shoved the rifle onto his chest, waking him from his shock. He then grabbed it, still confused. "But I really need you to let me in, so let's try again. Take me to your commanding officer, let me have a talk with him."

"Eh…" he glanced around, probably looking for a second opinion. These guys must really be short on staff if they could only spare one lookout for the northern entrance. He shook his head, seemingly grabbing a hold of himself. "Ok, fine, but you walk ahead of me, and no detours! Do something funny and I'll put one behind your skull."

The soldier (now equipped with his pistol) escorted me to a small camp of high tents made on a parking lot, located on the southwestern end of town. More NCR soldier walked around, stood guard and carried random military-related stuff (whatever they were). I was led into one of the tents, where a man and a woman looked over a map of the town, laid out on a table. I was able to catch just a piece of the conversation they were having. Instead of a helmet or hat, the man wore a green barrette, and his armor seemed heavier and more protective, so it was easy to assume he was an officer.

"-to move in before nightfall, or they are going to use that opportunity to kill the remaining citizens." The woman spoke, tapping her finger on the map.  
"I've told you a million time before, we don't have the man to take the town and keep it secure. The best course of action is to send someone to the outpost and have them convince-" the man stopped once he took notice of me and my escort. "Soldier, what is this about? Who is this?" the man asked. I could now see "Lt. Hayes" written on his chest, confirming my suspicion.

The soldier brought his feet together and brought his hand up for a salute. "Sir, this civilian claims to have urgent business in town, so I brought him here to get clearance from you to enter."

"I thought I made it clear that I did not wish to be interrupted. What makes him an exception." Before he could respond, I decided to take over. "I drove your man a hard bargain, so excuse him for this. I just need you to let me into town, I won't get in the way of your operations." He looked back at the woman, than back at me. "And why should I trust you? How do I know you are not here to aid the convicts?"

I threw him a confused look. "Do I look like an ex-con?" I said, raising my arms, letting them take a good look at me. "No, you do not," he answered, cold and direct. "Still, I cannot allow you to cause any harm to our mission. We are already spread thin as it is, we cannot spare man to aid a civilian." I shook my head. "You NCR always think you have to be in control of things."

"Excuse me?" he didn't seem offended, just curious.

"You don't need to aid me on anything, just let me into town by myself, and I'll be out before nightfall. Hell, I'll probably end up taking down a few cons that get in my way." With that, he stopped looking at me like a nuisance and started seeing me as possibility, as hope for some success. "You are saying you can get in and out of a town taken over by bloodthirsty bandits armed to the teeth with dynamite?"

"Wouldn't be the first time I do something like this." I answered, grinning to myself. He raised an eyebrow, but mostly ignored that last sentence. "Whatever you have to do in there, must be important. What would that be?" he crossed his arms.

"I've gotta talk with the manager of the local Mojave Express." I answered

"Lost your package or something?" this time, it was the woman who asked the question.

"Something like that." I didn't want to say too much, so I decided to get on with the conversation. "Look, I really need to get this done. I think I've given enough reason to let me in." Both just stood silent, looking at me, but losing that look of hope. The same soldier still stood behind me, obviously waiting to see if he'd get to kick me out. It didn't look like they'd let me go into town, so I threw in my last card. "I can do something else for you." I took their attention again. "I heard you mention an outpost, and that you needed to send someone there. I'm guessing that's the Mojave Outpost, down south." The place I was talking about was the main entrance to the Mojave wasteland. It was a small checkpoint station manned by the NCR. Anyone heading to Vegas from the southwest probably passed the outpost.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," he threw a mean look at the soldier, who brought me at the wrong time. "But yes, you are right, I need someone to ask for reinforcements. I tried to do that over the radio, but had no luck. Still, I think someone might be able to convince Major Knight to lend me some man."

"The outpost is on the way of my next stop, so I can do that for you." He didn't drop the hopeful look this time, and thankfully, he nodded.

"Alright, you convinced me, I'll radio my soldiers to let you through." Before I turned around, he stared me in the eye, and warned. "Good luck out there, you're probably going to need it."  
-


	9. Chapter 9: They Shot the Sheriff

Chapter 9: They Shot the Sheriff

"You're on your own from here." The soldier told me as him and I stood at one end of the bridge that crossed to the commercial district of town. "Since the escaped convicts snuck into town and killed the town's sheriff, we had reports most civilians retreated to the Vicky and Vance Casino, where they set up temporary defenses. It's across from the Bison Steve hotel, the one with the roller-coaster." He remained silent for a second, as if wondering is he should say something else, or as if he forgot a detail. "Oh, last thing, we set up mines on the bridge, you know, in case they attack. Might want to watch out for that."

"Ok, thanks." That sure is an important detail, thank God he remembered to tell me that. "Oh, by the way," I reached towards his rifle, and flicked a small switch from safety to single. "You might wanna leave this on next time you plan on shooting someone." I gave him a wink and watched as his face turned red before turning around.

The bridge looked close to falling down. One large chunk of the floor was missing, with wooden planks covering the hole. Along the way, I counted five mines from one end to the other. With my eyes on the ground and light steps, I quickly reached the other side, safe, sound, and with my legs where they should be. I was about to head on, when a brilliant idea jumped to my mind.

They are not gonna miss one mine, are they?

Carefully, I reached the nearest one with both hands raised. The trick to disarming a proximity mine is being slow at first, until it starts beeping. Once it does that, you have act quick. They are not the kind of mines you place under the dirt. You just activate them and drop them on the ground. A few seconds after activation, they'll blow when sensing any nearby movement.

I was about two feet from it when it the first beep came out. Like the wind, my hand went down on it, turning it over and forcing open a small hatch. Inside where multiple colored wires. I immediately wrapped my index finger around the red one (I know, cliché, but I wasn't the one who design these) and pulled, disconnecting it from it's plug. The beeping wore down and died. Three seconds passed and I was still alive, meaning I successfully deactivated it. "I've still got it!" Not my first time doing it anyway, these things can be found all over the Wasteland, no kidding. I was taught to deal with them before I stopped wetting the bed.

The streets were littered with broken cars and a lot of trash, but not like you find in abandoned cities around the wasteland. There were multiple spend bullet casings and discarded magazines, along with some dried blood, which was spilled all over the floor and walls. From the distance, I saw the large sign of the Mojave Express building. It was located down the street, to my right. I would have rushed over to it, if were not for the dead body laid against it. And the sudden voices.

"How the hell are we gonna get in there?" a man spoke around the corner of the building to my left. I rushed behind a car ahead of me. Taking a look at my Pip-Boy, I noticed four red blips on the compass. I snuck to one end of the car, which safely allowed me to peek around that corner. Above them, a sign read 'The Vicky and Vance Casino'.

"I say wait till night and blow his door to hell. Then we just flush em' out, with the dynamite." another voice spoke.

"We better call the rest of the crew too." someone else suggested.

Four man stood around in a circle, all of them held weapons. One with a Varmint Rifle, one with a 9mm pistol, one with a single shotgun, and the last with a baseball bat. They weren't dressed like the Powder Gangers, but judging from their conversation and the dynamite on their belts, it's safe to say they left prison with some toys. These man were clearly planning on getting into the Vicky and Vance, which just so happened to be my destination. I had to get rid of these guys.

I could use the element of surprise, but considering their numerical advantage, it would make for a hairy fight. Unless…

*Bip* Bipbip*

"Did you guys hear something?" I didn't see which one was talking, because I was busy sneaking behind the building, so I could flank the from the other side. Before I left though, I banged the grip of my pistol against the car.

*Clank*

"Ok, now I heard something." Another one shouted. "I think it came from behind that car. Go check it out!"

"Me? Why me? You do it."

"I've got the rifle idiot, if someone's gonna go ahead, it's the guy with the shotgun."

"I'll go if Gunter comes with."

"Hell no! Don't drag me into this!"

"Stop being pussies, the two of you! Go check it out before I knock your asses out."

By that point I had already circled the building, and was positioned behind their backs. They all stared towards the car, and the two that went to check it were about to reach it.

"You guys see anything?" the man with a 9mm asked.

"Nah, I think it might have been a radroach." He replied, walking behind the car. "Wait, I hear something, thinks it's a bee-"

 ***BOOM***

The car went up in a mushroom cloud, swallowing one of the cons and shoving the other yard away against the wall. A weave of heat hit my face before I moved back behind the corner. Seems like my plan had worked as expected. I knew that mine would come in handy.

"What the fuck!" one of the two remaining cons screamed "Shit! What the hell was that!"

That was my cue. Holding my breath, I turned around the corner, M1911A1 up, ready to shoot, while in my free hand i tightly held my necklace. 'This is going to be a piece of cake' I thought to myself, despite the fact that my heart was pumping like a steam engine. I wasn't expecting the nuclear reactor of the car to go off, so the huge the explosion kinda startled me.

And a piece of cake it was, mainly when time decided to stop again. The words 'Welcome back to V.A.T.S.' flashed against my face before disappearing. All movement ceased, and all the computer H.U.D. elements from last time flooded my face. As the explosion died out, the two cons covered their faces against the radiation. The frozen sight was pretty, in a chaotic way, as the flash from the explosion made for an unnatural lighting.

I didn't know what to do. I still haven't figured out what I did right last time, so I just stood there, contemplating the chaos. 'How do I get out of this?' I thought to myself. Immediately, the H.U.D. was gone and things moved again. I was too confused to move, asking myself how the fuck this V.A.T.S thing works.

Seems like I was left wondering for too long, because I soon heard one the cons shout. "Hey, who is that guy?" I looked up at them, and saw that the guy with the pistol had turned around, and the other was in the process of doing so.

"Shit!" I took aim at the one who already noticed me, but so did he. My heart almost jumped out of my chest, nothing makes you more scared for your life than a gun lining up with your face. But again, time stopped as 'Welcome back to V.A.T.S.' flashed. I was left staring at something out a movie scene. I aimed at the cons face as he aimed at mine.

I imagine that he wasn't seeing this, which made things even crazier. Could I stop my perception of time? No, that wasn't me, it was something else, maybe some drug Doc Mitchell gave me? Something the guys who shot me did?

I soon realized that the answer was right there on my face. On the bottom right of my vision, I noticed a bar, with the letters 'AP' on top. Wait, I've seen that somewhere before… the Pip-Boy! Could a simple (not really) device do something like this? I aimed to find out, but first, I have to take those two criminals out. I tried to recall what I did with Joe Cobb. I looked over the man's body, and just like before, his limbs highlighted. "Alright, let's see what this means." I thought about his gun arm, and when I did, it flashed with the number 68% next to it. I then thought about his chest, which also flashed, this time with a 81%. "Ok, now, let's exit."

In a flash, my finger pressed the trigger, letting a bullet fly out. The first almost missed the con's arm, just grazing him on the side. That shot was followed by a shot towards his chest, which hit him right between the lungs. This V.A.T.S. thing seemed to give an incredible adrenaline boost, and for as long as I carried out those shots, my arms moved as fast as they'd allow me. The strangest part was that I didn't seem to be the one controlling my movements. It's like I had ropes tied to myself, and they pulled my limbs in the right direction to take the shot. I wanted to make a puppet and ventriloquist analogy, but I didn't know what the ventriloquist was. The Pip-Boy, I guess?

No time to stay on this subject, because the other guy had already turned around. He looked at his friend fall to the ground, and with a roar, he dropped his rifle and jumped on me.

Strange course of action, since he had a gun. But there wasn't any time to argue, because we both fell to the ground. My pistol left my hand as I came crashing down, falling to far for me to reach. He kneeled over me and tried to hit me in the face, but I managed to block it. He tried to go for another punch, but I kicked him right in the chest, and fell on his back. I quickly jumped back up, but so did he.

"Alright, let's try this again." I forced myself to think V.A.T.S. as I pulled the Colt Single Action Army revolver from my back. As I created a mental image of it's interface, time crawled to a stop, and the welcoming message popped up. My arm was stuck in the process of aiming up with the revolver, and the convict was already in a punching stance.

His leg flashed with an 89% chance, but when I targeted his chest, it remained dark. I was about to ask myself what went wrong, when the message 'Insufficient Action Points' popped up to my right. Action Points? Is that what AP means? I brought my eyes down to the AP bar, and noticed it was depleted. So, what now? Was the Pip-Boy out of juice or something?

I exited V.A.T.S. and as expected, my attacker fell to the ground when a bullet ripped his knee. As he fell to the ground and screamed in pain, rocking back and forth while gripping his leg, I looked down to my arm. The Pip-Boy was still working fine, so it still had battery, that meant AP wasn't what powered the damn thing. What is it then? The bar was slowly recharging, so at least I'd get to use V.A.T.S. again.

I looked down to my downed enemy, who still in pain. "Well, it seems you get to live. Sorry about your friends, but I don't think you people would have given me a chance, would you."

"Go to hell!" He tried to spit at me, but failed miserably.

"Hnm, what do I do with you now?" I aimed at his face, and he soon regretted being rude to me. I smacked the sole of my boot into his face, and he passed out on the spot "You ain't going anywhere anytime soon, so I don't see any sense in killing you."

The sound of wood creaked to my right, like a door opening. Three man stood at the entrance of the Vicky and Vance, all aiming guns at me. The one in front was an old man, wearing blue overalls over a white shirt and goggles around his neck. On his hand, he held the same revolver I had, this one chambered for .45 Colt.

They all looked around, gawking at the carnage. And I don't blame them, I mean, there was destruction all around me. Two man, one bleeding and one dead to my side, a burning car down and a body charred to the bone next to it, and last but not least, the guy who went flying and was now resting against the wall he hit, his face burned and blood dripping from the back of his cracked skull.

"What in Sam's hell happened out here?" The old man said, almost in a whisper. I wasn't sure myself, so the only answer I could muster was: "Uh… law enforcement?"

"(Battle report: 4 escaped prisoners/ 3 .45 ACP rounds/ no injuries.)

"I don't know what got you to come to Primm youngster, but you might wanna rethink your plans." The old man spoke as he sat down on stool by some slot machines.

Were now inside the Vicky and Vance Casino, and like the NCR soldier mentioned, it was defended by a large group if armed civilians. Funny thing was, this place looked better defended that that NCR camp. Tables, vending machines, even a rusted car (that was inside the building for some reason) had been turned into barricades, all of them with armed man and woman sitting behind, ready to shot with their pistols, revolvers and rifles.

"I'm not rethinking anything, I've come to town with questions, and I need answers." I took a seat across from him. "Let's start with who you are."

"Johnson Nash's my name. Husband to Ruby Nash. Lived in Primm eight years now, thick and thin. I'm a trader primarily, for what it's worth, with things like they are. I also run the local Mojave Express outpost."

Good, he's exactly who I was looking for. "Well, I just happen to be a courier."

"Well, I don't got any work for you right now, sorry to say." He shrugged, with a sad smile. "I'm not looking for work," I told him. "I'm looking for information on a delivery I was hired to make. I believe the order was made here in Primm."

"I'll tell whatever I can." The old man reassured me. "You have a delivery order you can show me?"

"Yeah, let me grab it." I took the note Doc Mitchell said was found with me from my duffle bag, and handed it over to him. Johnson took a good look at, his eyes widening with every word. "Oh, so you're talking about one of them packages. That job had strange written all over it." The way he talked made it look like he didn't like the subject, but that stopped when he said the next phrase. "But we couldn't turn down the caps."

"Wait packages, in plural? I was only carrying one object." I explained to him.

He shook his head and a note similar to mine. The content on it was basically the same, the major difference being the item ordered for delivery. "A pair of fuzzy dices?" That was about as weird and as random as a Platinum Chip.

"You see, that cowboy robot had us hire six couriers. Each was carrying something a little different. A pair of fuzzy dices, a chess piece, that kind of stuff."  
Cowboy robot? Does he mean Victor? "Did I hear this right? You telling me a cowboy robot hired me?"

He made a dead serious face, probably to avoid the idea that he was shitting me. "That's right. He was like one of them Securitrons from New Vegas, except this one had a cowboy in the TV. Talked and acted like one too. He just rolled in, gave the job the details, and waited for an answer. Wouldn't answer any question we made him, he just wanted to know if we'd take the job or not. Like I said, the caps were good, so here you are." His expression turned curious. "And now that I think about, last word I heard from the office, it looked like payment had been received for five jobs, meaning one hasn't arrived yet."  
I knew where he was going, and there was no point in hiding anything from him. "I know, because didn't deliver my package. It was stolen by a man in checkered suit with some Great Khan escort. I was actually hoping you knew something about them."

"Well, now that you mention it," he squinted his eyes, forcing himself to remember. "A few nights back, one of the townies was out scavenging for supplies. He saw he saw a fella in a daisy suit with some Great Khan misfits. They was talking about a chip." Maybe my luck was turning around. "Where can I talk to this 'townie'?"

"Unless you can talk to the dead, you won't be having any luck." And of course it wasn't. Johnson caught my disappointment and lowered his head. "Sorry youngster." I was about to finish the conversation, when he suddenly almost jumped out of his chair. "Wait! There's something else. I know someone who can tell you more, but there's a catch."

There always is. Whatever, It's better than head out blind. "Alright, tell me, who can help me out?"

"The Sheriff and Deputy Deagle were keeping a good bit of notes on them when the man you talked about came to town. The deputy was slinking around Bison Steve Hotel when your pretty-boy friend came through. Sheriff's dead, so Deagle will have to do. He may have heard where they were going."

"And the catch is?" He already gave me the good news, and now for the bad.

"Beagle was kidnapped by that gang of criminals that plague the town. Dirty mongrels made the Bison Steve Hotel their base, so you'll find him somewhere in there. They been trying to use him for ransom, so I don't think he's dead."

I sighed heavily. Nothing has been easy since I woke up, but it could be worse. Let's go get me this Deagle fella.


	10. Chapter 10: But They Did Not Shoot The

Chapter 10: But they did not shoot the deputy

The Bison Steve Hotel was a large five story building, and like mentioned before, had a simple wooden Rollercoaster ran in and out of it's last levels. I always wondered what riding one of those felt like, must be fun, too bad the track has collapsed in multiple parts, and I doubt the thing even worked anymore. From the outside, the place seemed completely abandoned. No guards, no barricades ,no noise, just another empty building, like many others out there. Looks nothing like the supposed Ex-con HQ people keep mentioning.

"Let's take this nice and easy Court." I myself, taking a deep breath before lying against the wall, next to the front entrance.

With my pistol out, I tapped the release button for the magazine, taking it in my hands and looking inside. It had three bullets in it, plus the one chambered in the gun. I pulled the Colt SAA from my back, and holstered the M1911A1 again. The revolver now had more bullets, and I didn't think it was worth reloading the pistol yet. There was something about leaving storing a mag half empty that tickled my brain. Guess that's why revolvers have always been my preference, reloading them might be hassle, but at least they make it easy to keep track of much ammo you have. Old habits die hard, I guess.

The building had no windows on the ground level, making the front door the only entrance. There were no red blip on my compass, but recalled that if the enemy was in hiding I wouldn't see them anyway. Besides, I don't how well this thing works through walls, if it works at all. I set myself up in front of the double doors. Revolver in hand and it's hammer cocked back, I was ready to kick the door down. The plan was to use V.A.T.S. and deal with any cons inside the lobby. As I was about to put the plan in motion, I took notice of something. The door was unlocked.

Now I had a better plan. I put my back against the door, grabbed the handle, and opened it slowly. As quick as I could, I stepped into the opening, kneeling down for better accuracy and to make myself a smaller target. Sure, that would lower my movement, but I wasn't planning to give the enemy any chance to shoot back, and I could still roll into cover. As soon as my knees hit the ground, V.A.T.S. kicked in. I scanned for enemies, ready to lock on them and clean the room as quickly as I could before any more of them showed up due to the noise.

All that planning and adrenaline came in vain, because the only living thing in the reception was an escaped convict, sitting on a chair at the end of the room, thrown into a deep slumber. I must have looked like a fool, kneeling in the front door and aiming at snoring target. It felt a bit awkward, but hey, at least the sleeping don't fight back.

I know I said I value mine and other people's sleep, but I can't risk this guy waking up when I leave, so i walked behind him, wrapped my arm around his neck and held his arms down with my free hand. Poor guy didn't even get a chance to complain, since not even the slightest amount of air could get through his throat. He struggled for a while, but eventually gave out. I let him go when I was sure he'd sleep for the rest of the day. Sure, I could have killed him, but I'm not some cold blooded monster. If I can easily avoid killing, I'll do it.

The reception led into a corridor that opened into a small lounge, with no one is sight. Before that there was a door which led into a small shop, presumably a gift shop. I decided to check out, maybe there was something useful in there. The shop was also empty, which led me to the conclusion that this place was even bigger than it looked, or there were less escaped convicts then I was led to believe. My little diversion was not in vain, as I found two things that could come in handy: a screwdriver and four bobby pins. The first was in a tool box under the counter, and the four pins were scattered on the floor, like someone had knocked them over.

I made my way to the lounge, silently as I could, and analyzed my options. I counted three directions: to my right, a staircase led to the next floor; to my left, a closed door with a 'Kitchen and Laundry' sign above it; and directly in front of me, the room broke in two short corridors leading to the same place, the cafeteria.  
My decision was made for me when I heard laughing from the cafeteria. I snuck my way to it's entrance, and while hiding in the shadows, gave it a quick look. Seven armed man sat around a table, all of them laughing and talking to one another. Guns laid on their laps, on the table or by their chairs. Rifles, pistols, submachine guns, all kinds of nasty shooters. But my jaw dropped when I noticed the massive flamer sitting behind one of the guys. A flamer works similar to a flamethrower, except it shoots concentrated balls of fire instead of a constant spill. It gave the owner a mean look, added to the hockey mask he was wearing. If I had to bet on who was the leader, he'd be my pick.

I wasn't liking my changes here, the only way I could see this fight ending well for me was if used one of the dynamites Easy Pete gave me to kill 7 birds with one… well, dynamite. But what if there are more of them in other sections of the building? They'd definitely hear the explosion, and I didn't want to have to hold my ground in here. One of the cons on the table got up and walked across the room, where two double door were opened and lead to what looked like a kitchen. Wait a second, the kitchen?

I made my way back to the 'Kitchen and Laundry' door, but when I tried to open it, it didn't budge.

Locked. "Lucky me, I have what I need." I whispered to myself as I took the screwdriver and a bobby pin. Just a couple of seconds later, the door opened with a satisfying click. Behind it was a corridor that cut left and led me to a half open kitchen door.

"-ldn't have messed with us Mr. Deputy. Bad things happen to people who mess with us." A mean voice echoed from one side of the kitchen.

"Would you be so kind to at least learn my name?" Another voice replied from the opposite side of the room. "You do know deputy is not a name right?" The owner of the first voice walked across the kitchen in heavy steps. Once he passed the door, I pushed it slightly, allowing me to take a look inside. The thug I watched leave the table was holding a kneeling man by the neck.

"Of course I know deputy isn't a name." he sounded pretty angry. "What, you think I'm stupid? That it?" The victim had his wrists tied behind his back, uselessly struggling against his attacker. He let out a soft plea as he choked. "N-no, of course n-not! I would never insult such a smart gentleman. You obviously require immense cunning to have captured me in the first place."

The thug let him go, just to immediately slap him across the face. "I don't know what cunning is, but when I find out, you better hope it's a compliment, or I'll cut your tongue and feed it to you after I let you starve." With that done, he strolled out of the kitchen, back to his friends, grabbing two bottles of scotch on that sat on counter. Once he was far enough, I opened the door and snuck my way to the hostage. He soon noticed me and threw me a surprised but curious look. "I don't suppose you came here to rescue me? I'd cross my fingers, but my hands are pretty numb."

Glancing back and forward to make sure no one was planning in returning to the kitchen, I whispered to him. "That depends. Would you happen to be Deputy Deagle?

"Why, yes I am." He whispered back, unusually calm for someone who had just been threatened. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm in a bit of a predicament here. I'd be most appreciative if you'd set me free."

I was starting to suspect his vocabulary, along with his tone. He sounded like the kind of guy who wanted to impress you, but not out of respect, but because he wanted something from you. "All right, good, you're exactly who I was looking for. I believe you know something about a man in a checkered suit and his Great Khan escort." The Deputy nodded. "Indeed I do good sir, and I would be most thrilled to share that information once I am released from captivity."

Lucky me, he wasn't in the best place to negotiate. "Oh, in that case, I'll just leave you here with your friends, since you guys are having so much fun together. Want me to call your buddy again, I bet he's itching to have another talk with you." I was just about leave before he panicked. "Wait! Wait." He cried, sweating like Brahmin under the sun, but then quickly forcing a relaxed expression. "Well… you look to be a trustworthy sort. Okay, I'll tell you what I know."

I smiled and crouched back next to him. "Good boy." He swallowed dry and tilted hid head towards the doors, making sure no one was coming. "The guy in the… unusual suit and his tribal friends came into town a while ago. I overheard them saying they are on their way to Novac."

"Novac? Where's that?" I asked. I didn't remember seeing that on my map earlier. Deagle laughed nervously. "I'm very eager to tell you exactly where to go," he glanced over my shoulder. "but don't you think we should wait until we're in better company? Besides, the air is a little dusty in here, it's not good for the memory."

The deputy had a point. Better keep the long conversation to a safer place. I grabbed a kitchen knife from a drawer and started cutting the ropes that held his hands together. I was half-way done when the sound of a growing voice made my heart freeze.

"Ya sit yer ass down righ' now. I'll show ya who's *hick* boss, yer gon' piss yerself on tha secon' shot." Over the counter I saw a drunk convict stumbling and laughing his way to where we were. I doubled my cutting speed, and in an instant, Deagle was free. Without a second thought, he got up and rushed the door I came in through.

"Whaa?" the convict stared at him as he crossed the kitchen and disappeared. He then stared down at me, squinting his eyes. "Who tha feck ar' ye?"  
I stood up and stared at him. Maybe he was drunk enough to think I'm one of his friends, wouldn't be the first time I get out of pickle because everyone around was too intoxicated to see the difference between a teddy bear and a Yao Guai. The drunk then continued. "Ben? Tha't ye Ben? *hick*. Ye've gotten tall Ben" He started giggling like a child, turned his head back and shouted. "Hey, guys, looky here, Ben's looking good. Wai' , where yer goin' Ben?"

Things were not going well back there, so I bolted. Soon I was right behind Deagle, sprinting past the lounge. "They went this way!" someone shouted behind me. "Kill them before they escape, I want their heads on a stick!"

Alright, these guys mean business, but so do I. As we made turns in the long hallways of the hotel, bullets whistled past us, hitting the walls around. When we reached the lobby, I grabbed Deagle by the arm, bringing him to stop. "I'm sorry, I know you would love to catch up, but I think right now is not the best time for a conversation." He spoke, breathing his heart out. I rolled my eyes so far up my skull I thought they would pop. "Shut up and light one up for me." I said, handing him the match box. He looked confused for a second, until he saw the stick of dynamite in my hand. "Oh lord." He blurted out. "Are you sure about this friend?"

I gave him a smirk. "Of course. It's easy, just light it and throw." It wasn't really, but I didn't worry with the details. He flicked a match on the box, which lit in the first try. As soon as the flame kissed the fuse, it began sparking. Footsteps echoed through the corridor behind us. I grabbed my necklace and gave it a kiss before I turned the corner with the explosive in hand and threw it. I watched it bounce until it came to stop just before our pursuers.

"FUCK! RUN!" One of the poor sods shouted as he tried to turn back, but it was too late. The shock wave from the explosion launched four of the bad guys in different directions. Limbs were ripped, flesh was burned and dust lifted into the air.

I didn't hang around for long, since I knew more were coming. Deagle and me burst through the front door and kept sprinting until we turned the corner behind a building on the opposite side of the street. We finally sat down in an alleyway, behind a dumpster, the only noise coming from our breaths and heavy heartbeats.

(Battle Report: 4 ex-convicts/ 1 dynamite spent/ no injuries.)

I looked over to the Deputy who I can safely say owned me his life after what we went through. I was about to demand answers when he opened his mouth. "Well! That was quite an adventure. We taught those convicts a thing or two, didn't we?" he announced with a proud smile to his face. "Breaking myself out of a hostage situation – not to diminish your role in it, of course – but it was quite thrilling."

Incredible. Tired, hurt, probably hungry and thirsty, and this fucker still has the energy to praise himself. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or jealous of his self-pride. "Yeah… sure, very thrilling." I didn't have the patience to argue, I just wanted to get out of this town. "Now, can you answer my questions?"

"Ahh yes, my memory is much clearer now that can smell fresh air." He looked up to the sky and clenched one of his eyes. " Now, let's see... Ah, right! I was sku… er, performing recon, gathering information on some of the Powder Gangers, when some Great Khans arrived with your friend in the suit. They were talking about some delivery they took from a Courier." I couldn't hold a look of hope mixed with anger when he said that. "Eh…I assume that was you. They said they be heading through Nipton to Novac to meet a contact there."

I brought my Pip-Boy up and selected the map function. I zoomed out, giving me a better look at the Mojave Wasteland. It showed geographic mapping of the land, with roads, buildings and the terrain displayed with a yellowish color on a dark background. Deagle leaned in closer and let out a whistle. "What an interesting gizmo. Where did you get such a device?"

I gave him my best 'none-of-your-damn-business' look, which he seemed to understand. He dragged his finger along the screen, drawing the path I'm supposed to take. "You'll wanna go down the I-15 until you reach the road to Nipton. Past that, you'll reach Highway 93 and follow it north until you reach Novac. Can't miss it."

I nodded as he finished his instructions and put down my arm. With a last heavy breath, I stood up and offered my hand to help the man get up, which he gladly accepted. "What are you going to do now that you are free?" I asked him.

He shrugged before responding. "I'm not particularly certain. I imagine I'll join the others until this town gets cleaned of those evildoers. Hopefully someone will do something about them soon enough." I raised him an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Shouldn't that someone be you?"

He laughed like I had told him a joke. "Hahaha, very funny my friend, I appreciate your vote of confidence, but I'm just a deputy. What this town needs is a new sheriff." He explained. "Now where we would find one, I am not sure. There's the NCR of course, but there might be other options"

"Lucky for you, I think I might have the solution for that problem." I told assured him. "Just wait a day or two, and you'll hear from the NCR." He was about to ask me what I meant, before I cut him off. "Trust me, I got you covered. Just head over to Vicky and Vance and keep out of trouble." I shook his hand and turned by back to him. "Good luck out there Deagle, stay safe."

"Uh..." he muttered. "Alright, you too... and happy trails!." He shouted as I made my distance towards the NCR camp.


	11. Chapter 11: Rotten

Chapter 11: Rotten

Out of Primm and back into the Wasteland.

After reporting to Lieutenant Hayes about what went down in Primm, I left the town through the bridge and the I-15, heading south along the highway. The Mojave Outpost was the next stop, where I planned in getting Hayes the reinforcements he needs to clear the town. It be a good place to resupply too, seeing how the one water bottle I had was now empty.

I traveled in peace for a couple hours, reflecting on my life as I hummed some old tunes. What kind of decisions led me to the path that I am taking right now? My trip to the Mojave was just supposed to be a simple delivery, not whatever it has turned into now. Time flew by faster than I could keep track, and I realized the sun was starting to set. Time to find a place to get some shut-eye.

Half an hour of tracking later, a small building along the road came into view. Looked like a Patrol Station, and good place to spend the night. I spent the rest of the walk dreaming of the gecko steak I planned on making, and boy, did that make my stomach growl. I hadn't eaten the whole day, so it goes without saying I was hungry.

It seems like food would have to wait, because when I arrived at the building, which I identified as a small patrol station, I noticed the multiple signs of a recent firefight. Two fresh corpses were slumped around the front door, drenched in their own blood. I knew they were recent, since the flies were only now starting to get comfortable, and the blood looked somewhat fresh. The walls were filled with bullet holes from one end to the other, and judging by the black crater on the ground, I'd say something blew up.

As I scanned the surroundings, my eyes ended on two brown shapes off to the end of the building. One laid dead on the ground, it's belly open by what looked like a shotgun wound. The other one though, stood tall and strong, it's four legs trotting in the same place, it's hairy tail whipping flies that hovered around its posterior while it hunched over to munch at a dried bush. It was too skinny to be a Brahmin, and it sure as hell wasn't a Bighorner, leaving only one quadruped wasteland herbivore that doesn't jump at the sight or smell of a person:

A horse.

Horses used to be a rare, if not an impossible sight. I heard they didn't adapt well to the radiation left by the bombs, so instead of mutating, they just died out. But then one day, the NCR finds a heard roaming around the entrance to an abandoned Vault back in California, along with some strange and not so friendly animals. They took the horses back to Shady Sands and put them to work and reproduce, and later on they started to make their way around the wastes, particularly around Vegas, since it's one of the least radiated pieces of civilization out there.

It's not the first time I see one, but I'm always left staring in awe when I do. Is it weird to think that they are such incredible creatures? I mean, they possess so much strength and loyalty, not to mention how useful they are. I've always wanted one, but they were expensive to buy and to sustain. But now one stood right in front of me, with no owner in sight. Maybe I could just mount it and…

No! I'm no thief. I was once told they used to hang horse thieves with prejudice, when horses were as important as a gun. The Wasteland doesn't have many laws, but I'm sure people would treat you just the same. Besides, the owner might still be alive, somewhere. Not only that, but I have other things to worry about, like the fact that whoever started this fight might be around.

Slowly, I opened the doors of the station, revolver drawn. Inside was an office like room, with desks, terminals and filing cabinets at every corner. Rested against one of the desks was a dead woman. Blood dripped off multiple bullet holes all over her chest, leaving her and the floor coated in red; and in the far back of the room, an old man in classic prospector clothing had also been turned into a bullet riddled corpse. He looked well geared for a prospector, I could see some leather and metal armor strapped all around him, and he wore a nice bracelet around his arm, not mention his coat was made of a finer leather, a big shift from the other raider looking bodies I found before. Since there was no sign of life in this room, I moved on. The next door led to a short corridor with a water fountain (irradiated, of course) and a pair of bathrooms. I reached the end before another door, and that's when I heard people talking.

"Pass me an iguana already!" a woman shouted.

"It's not cooked yet! You gotta be patient when it come to food, or else you'll just waste a good meal." A man replied.

"What do you mean it's not cooked yet? I can see it from here, you're gonna turn our dinner into charcoal!" The woman shouted back.

The two kept on fighting about iguanas, whose smell was already intoxicating the room, when someone decided to interrupt their discussion. "Oh for the love of God, shut up!" this voice stood out amongst the other, being loud and very, very raspy. Either the owner swallowed a box of needles, or he is suffering from the infamous case ghoulification. The raspy voice continued. "You two get into discussions about everything! First you fought on who would get to kill me, then on who would get my stuff, then who gets to sleep on the comfiest sleeping bag, and now this?! Maybe you two should be more quiet like your friend there."

"Heh, I'm starting to like this guy." A new, thick voice approved.

Not sure what I walked into, but I kind of wanted to find out. Four blip sat around the Pip-Boy compass, one yellow, three red. I made a plan inside my head, one that was a bit risky, but could work out beautifully. I holstered the revolver and pulled out my pistol. Checking the magazine, I confirmed that I had four rounds left. Alright, let's make them count.

With a swift kick, the door burst open, sending rotten splinters all around the place. It wasn't locked, but I wanted the element of surprise. Three dirty thugs jumped in surprise, shouting profanities left and right. I jumped into V.A.T.S., giving me all the time to analyze my enemies. The trio of wasters were Jackals, a gang of well know raiders, popular for robbing caravans and travelers. They all reached for their guns in panic. Too bad for them, they'll never reach them. The two first bullets met their target square in the chest, each dropping to the floor in a thud. The last bullet though, to my surprise, missed. Seems like this time-freezer wasn't as much of a miracle worker as I hoped. Teaches me to leave things to chance. What a shame to my pride, I thought. Well, not to worry, I still had a bullet left. Just as the Jackal wrapped his hand around his rifle, I pressed the trigger again. He collapsed face first into the ground, making no further moves.

(Battle Report: 3 Jackals/ 4 .45 ACP rounds/ no injuries)

It'd be wrong of me to say there were only three corpses in the room, when in reality there were four. Thing is, the fourth one was cheering for me. "Jesus Christ!" cried out the ghoul behind bars. He wore leather clothes with steel plates on one shoulder and his legs. "Talk about clearing a room, I mean that was amazing."

He was sitting down on a wall bench, inside a locked jail cell. He was clearly stunned by my little show, almost falling off his seat. "Thanks." I shrugged, looking around the room. The Jackals had made a makeshift camp with bed rolls and a campfire. A piece of the roof had collapsed, allowing the smoke from the campfire to rise into the sky. This was obviously the jail room, where old-world police could hold people causing trouble on the road until they could get released or transferred. Don't think they ever had ghouls locked in though.

In case you're wondering, let me tell you what a ghoul looks like. They ain't pretty, that's start, but you can't blame them, can't expect to come out of a radiation bath like a pretty piece. That's right, radiation; these poor souls are the result of long term but slow exposure to gamma radiation, melting their skin, weakening their tendons and giving them one serious case of hair loss. So to sum it up, they end up looking like zombies, but could end up branded as insensitive for calling them that. Not to mention that some lose their minds, turning into feral and violent beasts that attack anything on sight. Those you can call zombies (and shoot) with no prejudice.

But hey, if you wanna look at a bright side (at least for some), they age really, really slowly. Almost all ghouls out there have a least two hundred years on their backs, meaning that they come from before the war. If you ever get the chance to chat with one, they likely have a bunch of interesting stories to tell.

I stepped over to the jail cell. "Nice digs, did you decorate it yourself?"

He replied with a sarcastic laugh. "Ha, yeah, you see that shit in the corner? I put it there myself. I think it freshens up the place." I decided to ignore the joke, which sadly wasn't as much of a joke as I hoped and get to the point. " Alright, how do I get you out of there?"

He stood up and walked over to the door, hand in his back pocket. "Oh, right." He pulled out a key an held it to his rotten face. "I'm not really locked in here, they were the ones who were locked out." I offered to take the key and unlock it for him. He hesitated at first, but ended up giving in. A second later and he was out of that jail cell.

I was able to get a better look at him once he was out, and sure enough, he looked like just like the living dead. I wanted to say his skin was rotten, but I think that had already rotted away. I could see the muscles on his face stretch as he moved along, sending a little chill up my spine. I've seen hundreds of ghouls before, feral or not, but they always make me a little uneasy. All this exposed muscle and tendons should hurt, but they don't seem to feel a thing.

"Thank you for the rescue pal." he raised his hand, which thankfully was wearing a glove, so I shook it. "I'm Daniel, Daniel Utah. Nice to meet you."

"Like the state?" I scoffed jokingly.

"Yeah, like the state." He answered slightly offended. "People get named after months and flowers and none bats an eye, so what's the problem with states?"

"Nice to meet you Daniel. Name's Court Tempest" I greeted him, ignoring his last remark, before glancing at the jail cell behind him. "You probably have one fine tale about what went down in here."

"I do, but that will have to wait." He crossed the room to a large sack resting on the corner. He pulled a knife that was well hidden inside his boots and cut the bag open. Inside the sack were about half a dozen guns and some ammo boxes. Daniel ignored the SMGs and pistols on top and dug his away to the bottom of the sack, pulling out a medium rifle with a leather strap and hanging it around his shoulder. It was rusty Heckler & Koch G3 Battle Rifle. It's body looked old with a dark wooden stock, grip and underbarrel. It seemed to be in bad shape, and I doubt it could even fire, but Daniel was definitely content with rifle, seeing how he was eyeing it up and down.

"Thank God, they didn't scratch her too bad" He hanged the rifle over his back and reached back down into the bag.

I just stood there, watching him rummage through it's contents until he found some magazines for the rifle. After loading a mag and storing the rest, he pulled a Beretta M9, loaded it and holstered it in his belt. "You need anything?" He casually asked me.

"Yeah sure, how about a large Atomic Shake and a double Brahmin burger. And easy on the agave sauce, please." I joked, barely holding a laugh.

"Ha-ha, you're a real funny guy." He tried to sound annoyed, but I picked up a little joy in his tone. "I mean anything that's in this bag."

"You got any .45, .357 or 5.56 in there?"

He rummaged around a bit before responding. "Uh, there's seven 5.56 rounds here, but other than that it's a bunch of 9 and 10 millimeter. No mags though." He raised his hands with the 5.56 rounds in them.

I walked over to him and took five rounds off his hands. "I only need these, thanks." I loaded the in the empty mag I had for the Varmint Rifle, and reloaded the M1911A1.

"So," I spoke to the ghoul. "It's getting dark and my belly's rumbling, how about you tell me what happened here while we share the food these gentleman left for us?" I motioned towards the campfire. Two skinned iguanas and a couple of sorted meats rested on the grill under the fire.

"Sure, why not?."

-  
To sum up the story, Daniel was working as a bodyguard for the dead prospector I saw back in the desk room. He got lucky in some findings (prospector is a fancy word the NCR uses for scavengers), and decided to spend his money in Vegas, so he hired an armed escort for the trip. When they were passing the Patrol Station, the Jackals ambushed the two, pinning them inside the building. When the gang made their push, the prospector died and Daniel had to retreat to the jail room. That's when he had the brilliant idea to lock himself in. The Jackals laughed at the idea of having a prisoner and decided to keep him alive, to toy with him. A couple of hours later, I came in for the rescue and here we are.

"Wait, were you two heading north through the 15?" I asked. We were sitting down, opposite sides of the fire, enjoying the meat left for us.  
Daniel munched on a iguana and replied with his mouth full. "Yeah, why?"

I raised an eyebrow. "The area past Sloan is infested with Deathclaws. Didn't you know?"

He nodded positively. "I did, but my employer insisted in getting going that way. He said he knew a short but truth be told, I planned on bailing him just before we got to the quarry junction." He paused for a second. "You know, I'm a little glad those Jackals jumped us. Not only did they save my hide from a horrible trip, but they got me a new travelling partner!"

"Excuse me?" I said, a little confused.

"Well, yeah. You're probably heading south, seeing how the north's fucked up, so why not travel together? I gotta hop back to the Mojave Outpost anyway, find a new employer."

I guess that makes sense. "You have point." Company for the road was always welcome. It's both added protection and entertainment. "How does waking up at five sound to you?"

"Woah, we have an early bird over here." he finished his iguana on a stick and reached for a gecko kebab.

"It's a bit of a habit. Hope you don't mind." Sleep early, wake up early, just like mama used to tell me.

He giggled a little. "Oh, don't you worry about me. I'll be just fine" He took a bite of the kebab, surprised with the taste. "Hhm, these are good! Did you make 'em?"

"Gecko Kebabs, my specialty." With that I turned my back to him and laid down on the sleeping bag the Jackals had left. "Enjoy what's left on the grill, I'm full."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." He replied, very pleased with the wide menu I left for him. We both remained silent for a while. I had already closed my eyes, waiting for sleep, but Daniel must have missed the idea. "So, this must really be a different from life back in them Vaults heh?"

What kind of random questions was that? "Ehh, I guess? Why do you say that?" And that's when it dropped on me. "Wait, you think I'm a Vault-Dweller?" I asked, turning back towards him.

"Well, yeah. You do have a Pip-Boy. Those things are impossible to find unless you come from the Vaults." He said, pretty convinced of that. "So if you're not from a Vault, where did you get it?"

I really didn't wanna go over the last day with a guy I just had met, no matter how fun and genuine he seemed, so I kept it simple. "A friend had it and gifted it to me."

"Right, I see." Daniel kept silent for a minute, which didn't last. "Was he a dweller?"

"Yes, yes he was." I tried to emphasize tiredness and a little annoyance so he gets the message, which he seemed to catch.

"Ok, cool." Thankfully that was the last thing I heard him say before I fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12: The Ghost of the Outpost

Chapter 12: The Ghost of the Outpost

Falling asleep was a bit of a challenge. I feared I'd end up having another mannequin related nightmare, and would have to explain to the ghoul why I woke up screaming about store decoration.

Thankfully, the night was quiet and dreamless, granting me the rest I needed and deserved. It was only interrupted by a slight tremble on my arm. I was startled at first, but quickly remembered I had set an alarm on my Pip-Boy.

"Morning Sunshine." A familiar raspy voice welcomed me to the land of the awaken. "Did you sleep well?"

Groaning, I sat up on the mattress, rubbing the scar on my temple. "Yeah..." I yawned and rubbed my eyes as they adjusted to the subtle morning light. I looked at Daniel, and noticed he had his things packed up and ready to go. "You're up early."

"I'm a light sleeper." He simply said, pointing to a single squirrel stick standing over the embers of last night's fire. "Saved you breakfast."

"Oh, much obliged!" I thanked him, wriggling my fingers and grabbing the food.

As I munched it, he threw his backpack over his shoulder and began making his way out of the room. "When you're done here, put out the fire and join me outside. I'll ready the horses."

Once he said that last word, I froze and threw a dumb look, since I wasn't sure how to break him the news. "Horses... as in plural...?"

His eyes went wide, quickly understanding what I mean. "So that's what they were eating before you arrived."

"Are you really not giving me a turn?" I asked, looking up to him on his mount. Turns out Daniel isn't a big fan of sharing.

"That depends, how much are you willing to pay for the ride?" he scratched his horse on the neck, who neighed happily. "You look like a cool guy, but I ain't letting no desperado wrap his hands around my wrist as we gallop towards the sunrise."

I laughed, picturing the image he just described. "Come on, I already took you out for dinner!" As much as he tried to hide it, he like that joke. If spending the rest of the trip with my arms around him meant avoiding another long walk under the bright sun, I'd do it with a smile.

Seeing how words wouldn't convince me, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Alright, let's make a deal. I'll buy you lunch and a drink once we get to the outpost, not only to repay you for rescuing me, but so you let me ride on my horse in peace."

Gee, he's one defensive fella ain't he? "Ok, deal, you win. But don't think I won't take you up on that offer."

The trip was shorter than I though it would have been. I calculated we'd get there in three and a half hours, but we managed to make it there thirty minutes short of that prediction. We spotted the place even earlier, not a hard task, considering the massive statues marking the spot.

The Mojave Outpost is popularly known for three things: A point of entrance and exit between California and the Mojave Wasteland; the location where the Ranger Unification Treaty was signed (The treaty unified the Desert Rangers of Nevada, a freelance group of rangers who defended local settlements against any threat; with the NCR Rangers, the division of the NCR military composed of the best sharpshooter in the nation), and last but not least, the two gigantic metal statues of two Rangers (one NCR, the other Desert Ranger) shaking hands.

The statues clearly celebrates the treaty, and can be seen from miles away, both Rangers standing tall and proud at top the high hill the outpost was located. As we walked past their legs, I analyzed the place. The I-15 stretched southwest on the opposite side of the hill. The outpost itself were two buildings left of the road, surrounded by metal fences with barbed wire. Dozens of Brahmin (two-headed cows used for transport of goods, popular with caravaners) sat around, with their owners right next to them, each looking as bored as a blind guy watching a silent movie.

"I see the caravans are still locked in here." Daniel said to himself.

"What do you mean. They don't have permission to leave?" the expression on their faces kinda answered my question. Daniel nodded. "Yep. Word is, the road east towards Nipton and the 93 are full of critters and raiders."

I lowered an eyebrow. "Can't they just send a few man to clear them?" Shouldn't be too much trouble for the most extensive nation in the west, right?

Instead of calmly answering the question, he laughed loudly at my face. "You're really funny smoothskin! The NCR having enough man for something? That will be the day!"

"Caravan, Citizen, Pilgrim, or…?"

The question was asked by a man on the front desk of the building I just walked into. Daniel was outside tying his horse, while I decided to find Major Knight, the man I promised to talk to about getting reinforcements for Lt. Hayes. "Uh…" I honestly didn't know what to answer. I didn't really consider myself a NCR citizen and I sure wasn't any of the other two, so… "Courier." I finally answered.

"Courier." He whispered while writing it down on a log book. The man was dressed just like Lt. Hayes, in his greenish body armor and NCR beret, probably making him another officer. "Just need something for the log book, keeping tabs on the traffic through the Outpost. What can I help you with? Don't believe we're expecting any mail."

Sure enough, once he put the log book down, I could see 'Mj. Knight' engraved on his chest. "Actually, you're the person I'm looking for." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm here on behalf of Lieutenant Hayes, he's in need of reinforcements to clear Primm and keep the law over there."

He let out a long and tired sigh. "I've already talked about this over the radio over and over again. We can't spare any man since we're supposed to keep a minimum headcount here in the Outpost." He looked at me with a defeated look, making it obvious he didn't agree with the headcount thing. "I'm sorry, I'd like to help, but these orders come from back West."

I thought back to Daniel laughing. The NCR gets into these situations over and over again. They never have enough man to reinforce a position, but when it come to taking more territory, the brass always finds a way. I was not gonna let this defeat me thought. "Look, maybe I can help you see the light here." I leaned against the desk. "Primm is not only a great trading hub, with it's decent population and casinos, but it's also trade route that can lead to towns like Goodsprings and Sloan." Maybe even Vegas, if they ever clear those Deathclaws. "Besides, I already killed some of the convicts for you guys, taking the town won't even be that hard if Hayes gets the man he needs."

Knight remained silent with his hand on his chin, thinking all I said over. Finally, he looked back at me. "You said you engaged the convicts. Is that's true?" I nodded. "So you're the civilian Hayes reported in. He didn't mention you'd come here on his behalf, and I can see why." He gave out a little smile.

"So…" I simply said, waiting for the answer.

"Alright, you convinced me. I'm not sure how, but I guess it's because you are right, Primm is important, not only because of it's advantages, but the people need our help. I'll radio Hayes he'll get the man he needs."

"So, how did it go smoothskin?" Daniel asked once I left the building.

'Success." I replied. "Soon Primm will be in NCR control. It might not be the best thing in the world, but it sure beats being overrun by criminals."

"Heh, I guess you're right." He was sitting down on a crate resting against the other building of the outpost, savoring a bottle of whiskey.

"So..." I began, sitting down by his side "I'll be heading down to Nipton, I've gotta take the 93 down to Novac; got some business to settle there." It wasn't even mid-day, so I could easily get to Nipton before sundown. "What about you?"

"Eh, I guess I'll stay here and look for a new employer. Don't think I'll stay long though, these caravans might not go anywhere for months. Oh, by the way!" he reached behind the box we were sitting on and grabbed another bottle of whiskey. "Here's what I owned you." After handing me the drink, he grabbed a Brahmin steak wrapped in tinfoil paper.

"Good to see all that radiation hasn't eaten up you sense of moral." I joked as I reached for the bottle. He laughed sarcastically while shaking his head. "There it is, the radiation joke. Everyone has one those on the fly, just waiting for a ghoul to tell to. Wanna see them try telling one to a feral, now that would make me laugh."

"Heh, knowing this crazy wasteland, I'm sure someone already tried." I took a swig of the whiskey, letting the warm alcohol run down my throat. It sure would be great to sit here and drink the whole day, but I had a long trip ahead of me. I stored the drink for later, and as I was about to get up and say my goodbyes, a loud whistle took my attention.

"Hey, you!" Someone called from behind me. I looked back but only saw the wall of the building. "Yeah, you and the ghoul, up here." Me and Daniel looked up, and on top of the building, a human shape stood in front of the sun, leaving us blinded by it's light.

"What do you want?" Daniel shouted, obviously annoyed by the interruption of his drinking.

"Go around the building to your right, I wanna talk to you two, I think we can help each other out." The person backed off into the roof, leaving the both of us confused.

"Think we should check it out?" I asked Daniel.

"Hurgh" He made a noise that sounded like the mix between a growl and a grunt. I think only ghouls could manage something like that. "I don't know, I'm awfully comfortable here, but..." he sighed. "It smells like a job, let's go."

I wasn't really interested in working, but it might be worth checking it out. Life's made of opportunities, and opportunities are one of the things that can keep you alive out here. Like ordered, we walked around the building to find a ramp that led to the roof. When we reached the top we were met with a little human nest: a chair, a wooden table with some drinks on top, and sandbags pilled on top of each other, making for short cover from any fire that comes downhill.

Rested against the sandbags was woman. She wore a light long-sleeved cotton shirt, jeans, leather boots and gloves. Binoculars hanged from her neck, but what stood out about her were the aviator shades and the sheriff hat on her head. "Welcome to my humble abode citizens. Name's Ghost." She said as we walked over to her.

"Heh, Ghost? What's that's supposed to do? Scare me?" When Daniel finished his mocking, I quickly slapped him on the arm. He didn't seem to know who he talking to, but I did.

"No," she replied, reaching for something behind the sandbags. "But this is."

In her hands she now had a Winchester Model 1892, a popular lever-action rifle used by many around the wasteland. I didn't need that know we were looking at a Ranger. The sniper nest, the cowgirl look, the codename, these were characteristics of the kind of people you don't wanna mock.

"Hurgh" he made the noise again. "What do you want lady?" Danil just wasn't willing to show her respect. Made me wonder how could he get hire in the first place.

"I couldn't help but overhear the conversation you two were having below." Daniel seemes to take offense to that, and she noticed. "I'm sorry, but it's my job to know what happens around here, be it through my ears or the sights of my rifle. Point is, you're heading to Nipton," she pointed at me, than to the ghoul. "and you need a job. I think I can make things very convenient for the two of you."

"And why's that?" I asked.

"I think the town is trouble. Lately, we haven't been getting any traffic from there, and while I can explain that right away, the smoke from the town I can't." she turned east and pointed down the road, holding her binoculars on the other hand. She offered the to me and I brought them to my eyes. Through the lens I saw a stack of dark smoke rise into the sky over the horizon.

"I'm sure it's been hit," she continued, "what I need to know is if they survived it. Might have been Powder Gangers with all the smoke."

Daniel took the binoculars, and while looked, he asked. "Why don't go check it out?"

Before she answered, I interrupted. "Let me guess, orders are to stay put no matter what?"

"Ha, just another day in the NCR. Yeah, I can barely leave this spot to piss. Road east is filled with giant-ants and ambushing raiders, leaving Knight and Jackson on their toes."

Daniel stepped up to her, returning the binoculars. "Alright, so we do this 'recon' for you, how's the pay gonna be?"

"The pay?" she answered with a sudden energy to her voice. "The pay is a goddamn thanks from the heart of the Republic!" she stared at us with a patriotic smile on her face, both hands down on her hips, making a heroic pose, like the ones you see in military propaganda posters. Daniel cringed at her play, while I tried to contain my laughter. Ghost quickly joined me and began giggling. "Ahhh relax ghouly, I'm just shitting with NCR line, done wonders for the morale around here. President Kimball says getting shot at is it's own damn reward." Her face and tone turned serious. "Do this for me though, and I'll do what I can. People know I hate almost everyone, so if I put in a good word for you… that's gold."

Daniel and I looked at each other. A good word for the NCR… that was not something to take lightly, since many places are controlled by them, having a good rep can get you far. But at the same time, it just wasn't enough, I mean, it's kind of a vague reward, while a couple of caps would be a more direct recompense.

"Eh, I don't know, you're not driving a particularly good bargain." Daniel spoke on our behalf.

Ghost looked down and up again. "Yeah, thought you'd say that, so I'm willing to throw in a few caps, how about a hundred each?"

The ghoul smiled at the mention of money. "Now we're talking, I'm in."

"Well, I'm not." I said, crossing my arms. "I'm sorry, Nipton may be close, but it's still quite a walk and I've got places to be. Daniel here can do the job for you, the guy's got a horse."

Ghost stood there, lost in her thoughts for while before speaking. "Follow me." And with that she made her way down the ramp, not even waiting to see if we would follow or not.

We followed her down and around the building, where a small stable had been set up. Two horses were tied up under the roof, eating and drinking from buckets of grass and water.

"Boys, I present to you, Nina!" she walked up to the brown one with white spots and slapped her on the side. The horse responded with by whipping Ghost with her tail. Ghost laughed and hugged Nina by the neck while patting her side. "I'll lend her to you for the trip to Nipton, that way you should be back in less than an hour or two. She's been stuck to this god-forsaken place for way too long it's about time she had a run. Despite being made for them, a stable is no place for a horse to get stuck for days."

"Oh, wow!" I was truly dumbfounded by her gesture. Trusting her horse to me? That was really something. "This makes things different. Sure, we'll go check Nipton out for you." I don't think I was clear enough about how much I love horses. I once heard something about your spirit animals being the creature you identify the most in the animal kingdom, and I'm sure a horse is my spirit animal.

Ghost made her way behind the stable and came back with a saddle over her shoulder. As she strapped in on Nina, she kept the conversation going. "Great, it's best you leave as soon as possible. I'll have my girl ready in a minute. If you need to do anything, go do it now."

Reaching into my duffle bag, I pulled out a plastic bottle. "I'm out of water, know where can I get some?" I only had one bottle which was now empty.

Daniel was the one to answer. "This building here is a bar and a barracks. You can get water with the lady behind the counter."

"Ok, see you two in a bit."

"Wait, before you go," Ghost called out. "listen, I don't want you getting killed for this, so if you run into any trouble, I'm asking for your eyes and ears, not your life. All right?"


	13. Chapter 13: The Bull and His Fox

Chapter 13: The Bull and his Fox

After a quick stop to fill my water bottle and buy new one, me and Daniel were back on the road, heading towards Nipton. Daniel rode his stallion while I rode Nina. This is the third time I've ridden a horse, and differently than the last time, It didn't end up with me down on the dirt. She acted a little uncomfortable when I first mounted her, but after a little caress and a few calm words from Ghost, Nina seemed to understand I was to be seen as a friend.  
The ride so far had it's ups and down. After we left the Outpost, we galloped down the hill at top speed, and it was a blast. There is no feeling like letting the wind hit your face and hair as you ride into what few minutes ago was the horizon. Once we reached the bottom, we slowed down and turned into the intersection leading east.

That's when trouble started to brew. First, giant-ants living in what once was the Ivanpah Lake (now dry and full of sand) jumped out from under the ground and chased us. Eight legs didn't do them any good though, since we lost sight of them in under a minute. Soon after a small pit-stop came into view. It was composed of four buildings, two on each side of the road. We would have crossed it and paid it no mind, were not for the five raiders roaming around it. It took us quite a detour, but we were soon back on the road.

It had been almost an hour since we left the Outpost, and we hadn't run into any trouble for a while, so I decided to break the ilence.

"So, Daniel," he snapped out of whatever daydream he was lost in and looked over to me. "you never actually told me your horse's name."

"Why would I name a horse?" he asked, like my suggestion was the strangest thing in the world.

"Well, I mean..." I wasn't sure how to explain why you should name your horse. I thought it was like, a general rule to do so in the first place. "They're such loyal companions and all, I think it's nice to give them a name."

"I don't think they understand or care about what you name them." He pointed out, cold and direct. "Horses are more like tools you use to get around. Have you given your switchblade or your screwdriver a name?"

"Wow, that's an... interesting point of view." I told him, caressing Nina on her neck as if telling her that Daniel didn't really mean what he said. "Can't say I agree with you though."

"Didn't think you did." He finished. We kept on riding silently for a few seconds before he suddenly sparked. "You know what I miss? Cars!"

"Cars?" I repeated curiously.

"Cars, trucks, vertibirds," he answered with enthusiasm. "those are de real deal. Iron monsters who can cut through the land like lighting with their wheel or tracks or blades."

"I know cars and trucks look like, Dan." I've also seen the carcass of a vertibird once. "We passed some just a few minutes ago."

"Right, but have you ever driven one?" I shook my head again. I was always interesting to remember he was alive before the bombs, getting to enjoy the fabled pre-war American life. "That's what I thought. Back in the day, all kinds of vehicles zoomed left and right, across these now lonely roads." There was a certain nostalgia to his voice.

"Back in the day…" I spoke, wondering. It's easy to forget that most ghouls date from before the Great War. "What did you before, you know, before it all went to shit."

"Ahhh, nothing, really, I was nobody, just you regular American joe with his regular American life. Nothing worth telling." The way he avoided that question made me question whether he was telling the truth or if he was just hiding something. Doesn't matter, it's his past to keep or share, so I didn't pry. "The things I did after the bombs, now those make up for some interesting stories." I was about to ask for some of those stories he mentioned, when he pointed forward. "Look, there it is."

In the distance, we could now see a couple of houses and small buildings, all surrounded by rusted iron fences. Nipton was a very small town, just a little bigger than Goodprings. It's main street joined up with the main road forming a T, with commercial building surrounding it by the sides and a large wooden cabin I assumed was the town hall was at it's end. We looked for any signs of an attack, but other than the smoke coming from main street, nothing looked our of place.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Daniel said, under his breath. "We should leave our horses out here, in case things get hairy"

We got down from the animals and tied them to a fence separating the town from the outside. Daniel reached behind his back and grabbed his H&K G3. I did the same with my Varmint Rifle and we walked past the open gates and into the down. As i walk grabbed my necklace, gripping it tightly. It was clear that something was wrong here.

We had barely stepped in when we heard a scream around the corner of a building on main street. "YEEEEEAH! GUESS WHO WON THE LOTTERY BABY!" We raised our guns as screamer ran around the corner, right at us. He wore glasses and was dressed in a blue NCRCF coat, meaning he was probably a Powder Ganger. He waved his arms in the air, cheering like the happiest man in the world, but he was clearly unarmed, so we lowered our weapons. He then cheered even more. "Smell that AIR! Couldn't ya just drink it like BOOZE!"

"Whoa, calm down there pal." I grabbed him by the shoulder since he was about to run past us, like we weren't even there. "Hold on, are you ok?"

He looked at me with his wide red eyes, like he'd been crying just a second ago. "Are you kidding me?! Never felt better! I just hit the jackpot!"

Daniel pulled him over by the arm. "You mentioned a lottery. What lottery is that?"

He looked at him slack-jawed in disbelief. "What lottery?" THE lottery, that's what lottery. Are you stupid or something?." He pulled back from Daniels grip and broke free. He pushed us away and started walking out of town while looking back us. "It's the only lottery that matters!" He turned around and began running into the distance "Oh God, smell that AIR!"

"Should we go after him?" Daniel asked me.

"Nah," I replied. "Doubt we'll get anything from him. Let's head for that big cabin in the middle of town."

Once we turned into main street, I was hit by a wave of head a fowl smell of melted rubber. I could explain the smoke now that I saw the large bonfire of car tires and wood sitting in the middle of the street. What I couldn't yet explain was all the horror laid in front me.

Severed heads and skulls were raised in spikes stuck to the ground, and each decapitated face displayed and expression of pain and terror, like they had been tortured just before being killed. Blood had been splattered over the floor and walls, and multiple signs of fighting littered the center of town. But something even worse was ahead.

"What the-" Daniel was at a loss of words, like me.

Crosses. Metal crosses, dozens of them, standing on both sides of the streets, all the way to the big cabin. And in each of them, a person hanged, nailed by their arms and legs. Some looked like Powder Gangers and others like normal civilians. They were all very hurt, bleeding not only from where they were nailed, but from multiple cuts and bruises all over their body. And the worst part?

They were all still alive

We were surrounded by the sounds of moans and attempts of calling for help, they were all too weak to say anything. Words could not truly describe what I was feeling at that moment. I was horrified as much as I was angry. What kind of monster could cause so much destruction? Who would even want to cause this amount of pain?

"Oh god… what is... who..?" I asked myself under my breath. I couldn't even compose a full sentence.

"I believe you have many questions, profligates." A voice boomed from the large cabin, which was surrounded by more bonfire and spikes. "I assure you that I can answer some."

We turned towards the voice, and at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the cabin was a man, but one like I have never seen. To begin by his clothes, he wore red football gear as armor from arms to feet, long shoulder plates included, and black goggles on his eyes. Fair enough, in the wasteland you had make due with what you find, but that doesn't excuse the fox head.

He wore the head of a fox like a cowl, the ears on top of his head and the snout pointing out from his forehead. A machete hanged from a sheath on his hip, but showed no intention of using it, since his hands were busy carrying a large pole with a banner on top.

A banner that carried a golden bull in a red background, the symbol of the infamous faction everyone is talking about.

Caesar's Legion.

"Who the hell are you?!" Daniel shouted, pointing his gun straight at the man. I followed right behind and raised my rifle at his head. "You did this, didn't you!? Answer me, asshole." Daniel's sudden spur of anger surprised me as much as fox man over there.

"Do not worry profligate, all will be explained in due time. I'll just have to ask you to put your guns down." The man replied calmly with soothing voice. There was no emotion to it, but it was so calm and controlled that it somehow gave me the idea that I should listen to him, that he had something worth to say.

"And why the FUCK would I do that?" the ghoul stepped closer to him, the barrel of rifle almost tapping the man's face.

I brought my hand to Dan's shoulder. "Hold on, let's hear what he has to say, it's not like poses any threat us."

He shook my hand off violently and stared into my eyes. Daniel was clearly very angry. I was furious too, but there was more to Dan's anger. There was hate to his dead ghoulish eyes. I'm not sure how I caught wind of that, but I did.

"Do you know who this is? Do you know what this banner means? I'd be doing everyone a favor by taking him out."

The fox man let out a short sigh. "Oh, what a shame, I wish we could have talked like civilized people, but your ghoulish friend leaves me no choice." He slammed the pole on the ground, burying the tip under the dirt. Immediately, we were surrounded by voices commanding orders and shouting. What had me on edge though, were the unmistakable sounds of rifle and pistol rounds being loaded into their respective chambers. As expected, we were surrounded by dozens of what I would guess were Legionnaires, who were seemingly hiding inside the multiple houses and buildings. They wore red and black football gear like the first guy, but instead of a fox cowl, these guys had football helmets. Some of them had attack dogs by their sides, dogs I was sure were trained to rip me to pieces.

"Drop your weapons, or you'll meet the same fate as the people of this town." The fox man said.

I didn't even hesitate. I didn't like being caught by surprise like that, but whatever pride I had left was not worth my life. We were vastly outnumbered, and I doubted even V.A.T.S. could get me out of this one. I dropped my rifle on the ground and unstrapped my belt, letting it fall along with my revolver and pistol.  
Daniel on the other hand, stood his ground, aiming at fox man like a statue. He breathed heavily, with a line of sweat running across his face (didn't know ghouls could sweat).

"Daniel, what the fuck are you doing?" I whispered to him. He didn't even budge. "Remember what Ghost said. This ain't worth dying for."

Again, he remained still, but eventually gave in to reason. He carefully laid his battle rifle and pistol on the ground, all while mumbling curses and profanities. Two Legionaries ran up to our guns and grabbed them, backing of to where they were after they had everything in hand. The fox man than walked closer to us.

"Now, let us try again. I am Vulpes Inculta, leader of the frumentarii and one of Caesar's most trusted man." He wore those titles with pride, and maybe he should. You don't get to order so many man around by being a nobody. "Like I said, I am willing to answer some of the questions you might have."

I had questions alright, but I wasn't sure if should ask them, I mean, when you're surrounded by armed soldiers you end being really scared of pissing off their commanding officer. Taking note of our reaction, Vulpes attempted to reassure us. "Worry not, you will have your belongings returned to you once we are done. You have the word of Caesar." I noticed he did not speak 'Caesar' the way we did. Most people pronounce the name like 'Ceaser', while Vulpes pronounced it like 'Kaisar', which I guess was a more correct way to pronounce it. Wait, why the hell was I thinking about that, I had other things to think about, like:

"Returned once we are done?" I repeated the man's words. "So you're not gonna crucify us in cold blood like you did to these people?"

"Oh, don't let our lesson scare you. Despite you friend's foul mouth, we will not have you lynched and hanged like the rest of these degenerates." he began to stroll in a circle around us, keeping us at center. "The Legion does not punish those who do not deserve it."

I glanced to my right, where just five feet from me, a blonde woman in blood soaked lingerie had been crucified. She had been put under so much pain that her eyes almost rolled back into her skull, but they still trembled up and down.

"Are you shitting me?" Daniel asked. "You're telling me they deserved this? These innocent people?!"

"Oh, but these people were far from innocent. Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, as long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself. The people here didn't care. It was a town of whores."

Pretty speech, but I didn't know where he was trying to go with it. Sure, Nipton might have been famous for it's brothels and drug deals, but so did half the settlements of the entire wasteland. So why attack it? The Legion had been pushed back east the Colorado River, so to send such a large force this far west. I didn't make much sense.  
"So you decided to burn it to the ground because it didn't pass the monthly Legion check-up? Seems like a waste of time and sweat." I pointed out. Apparently that was exactly what Vulpes expected me to say, because he grinned like his birthday had come earlier this year.

"But you see, we had no intent of coming to Nipton in the first place." He paused for a second for dramatic effect. This guy really liked play around didn't he? It really made the situation a lot more infuriating. "Until we were invited that is."

"Can you please stop beating around the bush? If you're not gonna kill us, get to the point amd let us go." Daniel spat out his words like bullets.

"Patience, I do believe the story I'm about to tell will peak your interest." He ceased his strolling right in front of us both.

"You see, Joseph Steyn, once the mayor of this town, had the brilliant idea to lead those he sheltered in his town into a trap. Dozens of Powder Gangers and NCR troops spent their nights here, too drunk or too high to remember even their own names." He changed the tone of his voice to imitate someone else. "You must imagine my surprise when I received a letter from the man himself, offering us the opportunity to sneak into town into his town at night, take the incapacitated profligates and deal with them at our hearts desire. And all that for a for a generous sum of caps."

I knew how the rest of that story went. "Let me guess, you took his offer one step further."

"Right you are!" he sparked with low enthusiasm, giving his voice little emotion for the first time "Only when the trap was sprang did he realize he was caught inside it too. But they did not go down without a chance, you see, we decided to play a little game with the townsfolk. They did love their games of luck."

"The lottery…" Daniel growled. That explains the crazed Powder Ganger earlier. "You sick fucks played with their deaths didn't you?!"

"So, you must have met the lucky winner. I'm sure you noticed how glad he was to win, unlike the grumpy runner-ups, whose legs we broke before we let them go." He was talking so casually that it somehow made him scarier. "At least they were luckier than the ones we took back home as slaves. And then there are the lucky losers, the ones who we granted a clean and quick death. Last but not least, we have main attractions, which are the ones you see around you." He pointed to all the crosses.

My brain simply froze. What these men did to the town was too shocking for me to even process. There are a lot of mad people out there, and I've seen my fare share of pain, but this… this is beyond anything I've faced. It's not just cruel, it's barbaric. It made me want to turn around and leave this Mojave forever, maybe crawl into a hole and wait till it all wiped away from my memories.

"You motherfuckers!" Daniel tried leaping at him, but I was quick enough yo hold him down. "You had no right to do this! Their lives were not yours!"  
"If you strongly against it," Vulpes spoke, reaching for his machete. "Please, do something about it." He unsheathed the blade, but unexpectedly, he spun it around, holding it by the tip, offering the grip to Daniel.

Daniel shook me off and grabbed the machete. He brought it to Vulpes throat, ready to slice it open.

"Daniel, what the fuck?" I shouted. "Do you really want to kill this guy in front of his men? Look at around you, do you think he cares if he dies?" Daniel quickly glanced at me and at the Legionnaires around us. They all aimed their guns at Dan.

"You should listen to your friend. Kill me, and my men will make sure you two join the people of Nipton." Vulpes spoke with attitude, his tone unaffected by the angry ghoul eager to kill him.

I slowly made my way to them and rested my hand on Dan's shoulder. "Daniel, just let him go. He ain't worth it." At least not now.

I probably took him all his strength, but he let the machete go. He stepped back to my side, holding his breath as he did. I could only imagine what he was thinking, but there was something odd about the way he was acting. I'm angry at the Legion too, but he was taking it all like it was personal.

As if he read my mind, Vulpes spoke as took his blade. "Your actions are driven only by emotion, ghoul. What was it that the Legion did to you? Have we burned your home to the ground? Have enslaved or killed your loved ones? Or maybe it was something worse?"

Ignoring Vulpes and his insults, I asked impatiently. "Are we done here? Let us go or kill us, we are tired of your attempts of angering us."

Vulpes motioned to one his soldiers, who approached us, hands full with our weapons. He threw them to the ground and marched back to his position.

"As promised, you may take your things and leave. Our conversation was ultimately very pleasant." He turned his back to us and began walking down the street. "I hope you tell of our meeting to all willing to hear. And please, emphasize the violence. The weak love to cry it about it." As he made his distance, his man followed, always keeping their sights on us until they left town through the southeast and disappeared into the distance.

Soon Dan and I were left alone, with the exception of the victims on the crosses, who were starting to die out from their wounds. Upon closer inspection we noticed they were nailed in a way that any attempt to remove them would cause their wounds to open further, and they'd quickly bleed to death.

So this is the Legion? A band of cosplayers who goes anyone they deem a sinner, leaving them do die in horrible and painful manner? And here I thought humanity had done it's worst 207 years ago.

"Legion this far west?! Fuck!" as expected, the news were a surprise for Ghost. "That's not outside the border, they are moving in, and they are doing it fast."

"Sorry to bearer of bad news." I said, resting against the table. We were back at the Mojave Outpost, atop Ghost's little sniper nest at the roof. I popped the whiskey Daniel bought me earlier and gave it a swig. As for the ghoul, he left me to go for the bar. Truth be told, I too wished to spend the rest of the day drowning in alcohol.

"It's not your fault. You did good avoiding trouble. Still, I sent you to put my mind at ease, but now I'm more in egde than ever." She turned her back to me and rested her arms on the sandbag pile, overlooking the horizon. "Nipton wasn't the most friendly town, but…" she didn't finish the sentence.

"You knew anyone there?" I asked, expecting the worst.

Instead, she gave me one of those quick, ironic laughs. "Ha! In Nipton? Hell no, the town was shithole, asking to be burned." Her tone went melancholic. "Just not by the Legion. No one deserves that."

For a few seconds we just stood there, me drinking and her, thinking. It was a peaceful moment, with the wind brushing my face and hair, cooling the Mojave heat. We both had a lot to think about. Now that the work was done I was gonna get back on my killer's trail. I hoped I could reach Novac by tomorrow and get more info as soon as I could, but one can't only hope.

"Ghost, I've gotta get going." I finally said.

"Oh right," she turned from her rest and walked to small chest on the floor. She pulled two small bags, and judging by the clinking sounds they made, I'd say they're filled with caps. "Here's you pay, I got it ready a while ago."

I was about to reach for them when she pulled one of the bags back. "Actually, I have a counter offer for you."

"Really? And what would that be?" I crossed my arms. This should be interesting.

"You see, this payment ain't coming from the suits, but from my pockets, so it's hard earned money. But there's something every Ranger gets since they are super useful for scouts like us and they breed them like a New Vegas hooker back in Shady Sands."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You're giving me Nina?"

"Not giving, but rewarding. Truth is, while stables were created for horses, it ain't place for one to stay. My poor girl has been stuck in that god-forsaken place for as long as have been stuck in this god-forsaken outpost. She need a cowboy who can take around the wasteland, letting that wind hit her crest as they ride through the highways." She quickly realized how far she had taken that speech and cleaned her throat. "I just think you might just fit the bill."

"Well, I am a Courier after all." I told her. "I do a lot of travelling in my line of work."

"It's settled then. I'll tell the boys and girls downstairs to let you leave with her." Lastly, she threw me one of the bags of caps. "Make sure you get this to your friend." I couldn't really see it behind her shades, but I could have sworn she winked at me.

"So, when are we taking of?" Daniel asked as I sat down beside him. The bottle of whiskey I had was now empty but I yearned for more, so I called the bartender over.  
"We? I thought you were gonna stay, look for a job."

"I found one, and look where it took us." His raspy voiced was fused with a tired tone.

"Good point."

The bartender finally arrived, stopping in front of us and placing a hand on her hip"What can I get you boys?" She was dark skinned lady with a suncap and soft cotton with leather clothing.

"I'll have a shot of scotch." I turned to Daniel. "What can I get ya?"

He mumbled something to himself and answered. "I'll pass. I think I had enough"

With that the bartender left to get me my order. "Good, you were the one paying for it anyway." I pulled his reward from my pocket and slid if over the counter. It stopped once it hit his arm. "Never met a man who knew once he had enough."

He laughed shortly. "Heh-heh, well it just took me about two hundred years to figure it out."

I laughed at his witty reply when my drink arrived. I quickly chugged the drink and brought the cup down with a good 'thud'.

"So, you're serious in coming with me? We might to have to few stops on the way."

"You're heading to Novac aren't you? I'll have to pass that to get to Vegas anyway. So let's band up, I might even let you ride the horse with me." We both smirked at the joke.

"As much as that sounds exciting, I'll pass, since I got my own ride."

Daniel slowly raised an eyebrow, but instead of asking what I meant, he came to his own conclusion. "You got Ghost to sell you her horse?"

"Not quite." I answered, telling him the story of freeing Nina from her "captivity" that Ghost told me.

"Another damn horse lover." He complained sarcastically. "Seems like I can't manage to steer clear of you people." I gave him a friendly punch in the arm as we both shared a laugh.

Getting up from my stool, I separated the caps for the drink and set them on the counter, snapping my finger to grab the bartender's attention. Once she saw the payment, I turned to Daniel. "We should get this show on the road. We can probably get to Novac before it gets too dark."

Daniel agreed and paid for his drinks before we left. We left the bar and made our way to the stables to mount our horses. As we were leaving the outpost, Ghost hailed us from her rooftop. "Take good care of her Mr. Courier, don't think I won't know if you disrespect my girl."

"You ain't got to worry about a thing Ms. Ghost." As we made our down the hill, we waved her a last goodbye before disappearing into the distance.


	14. Chapter 14: Dinky the T-Rex and his Snip

Chapter 14: Dinky the T-Rex and his Sniper

It's amazing how fast move when on a horse. And not only that but how relaxed you can get during the trip. You know that feeling you get when your legs remain still for so long that when you finally move them it's like your bones are made of rusted iron? Well, I didn't, at least not before spending about seven hours sitting on top of Nina. I've spent most of my life traveling on foot, a arduous task I got used to over the years, not only because my legs have lost all sense of pain after getting so much of it, but I've been able to push myself to finish a trip by thinking of how much of a good night's sleep I'll get at the end. I know it sounds like a weird strategy, but it works really well for me.

But right now, all I wanted was the exact opposite. I wanted to run a god damn marathon just to get the blood flowing again. I have barely moved all evening but I felt tired, worn out, and above all, I had an immense pain in the ass. Turns out the bumpy ride really brings the hurt when you do it for long (I just noticed how dirty this last statement might have sounded).

Complaints aside, Daniel and I arrived in Novac just after sundown, something we would not have achieved were not for Nina and Cadillac (Dan wouldn't name his horse, so I just went ahead and did it myself. As for my choice, Dan likes cars so I thought the name was somewhat fitting). The trip itself was calm, and I never thought I'd see myself say this but I think I have the NCR to thank for that. They had set up an outpost between Nipton and Novac, and while it wasn't big and lacked a bit in head count, it was enough to keep raiders and bandits away from the roads.

Novac was the largest town I've been to since arriving at the Mojave. A Poseidon Gas Station and a motel called Dino-Dee-lite (You'll see why) made the center of town, with the highway intersection to it's right and many houses making up the residential area to it's left.

It would have looked like another regular old town, was it not for the huge metal lizard overlooking the east. I didn't look quite like a Deathclaw, but it shared some similarities, like the scaly skin and long row of teeth in it's mouth. "What in the world is that?!" I asked, shocked and a little scared.

"What? You mean Dinky? Daniel asked back, a little confused by my reaction. "You've never seen a dinosaur before?"

"I'm sure I'd remember seeing something like this before." I turned to him with a tone of disbelief. "Did you have things like this in the Old World?"

"Well, no, not exactly." He replied. And so I spent the rest of the way learning about these dinosaurs, and how they roamed the land before humanity even existed, and were wiped out by a meteor from space. Dan said this was all common knowledge back in the day, something even little kids knew about, but I guess that when most school books have been burnt to a crisp and people have real monsters to worry about, information like this tends to get lost.

Going back to the Motel I mentioned earlier, you might pieced things together and figured out that the Dino belonged to it. The place was a squared terrain surrounded by fences, having a reception at the entrance, a two-story long and straight building where I imagined the rooms were, three cabins opposite to the building and the metal green T-Rex right next to them. When we approached the entrance gate I noticed there was a wooden staircase leading up to a door on the side of the dino. You're telling me you can get inside that thing?

My attention was suddenly drawn away by a familiar voice. "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!". Familiar and robotic too.

"No way!" Yes way, because Victor, my securitron savior and apparent contractor was rolling his way to me, waving his claw in the air.

"Ain't that my good ol' friend from Goodsprings!" His screen flickered as spoke. He looked the same as when we last saw each other. What was he doing all the way out here?

"Hey there Victor, surprised to see you here." I decided to keep my cool. Maybe I could pull something out of him. "What brings you around these parts?"

He brought his claws up to his monitor and scratched it. "Don't rightly know. I just got the notion to make my way to New Vegas. Reckon I'll find out when I get there."

"Yeah, you guess you will…" Curious. How can a robot get a 'notion'? Maybe his screws are finally going lose, but I doubted that. What I really suspected was that he was following me, I just didn't know why. More curious than me was Daniel, who had no idea what this was about. He was about to say something when I motioned for him to keep quiet. I would explain things for him later.

"It was fun seeing you Victor. Have a safe trip." I waved him goodbye and pulled Dan towards the motel's reception.

"Happy Trails!" he replied with his enthusiastic robotic voice, before rolling back to where he was before we talked, back to just standing there, looking into the horizon.

-  
Dan and I took seats next to each other inside the reception, which was a small green room filled only by a counter, a few wall benches, a Sunset Sarsaparilla vending machine and a door at the back. Let me go back to the green, because it deserves emphasis: almost everything was painted in that color. The walls, the benches, the ceiling and floor. The counter, the vending machine and a blue mailbox were the only notable things not green.

The place was empty when we walked in, so we would have to wait to get our rooms, not that waiting was a problem, since Dan obviously had questions to ask.  
"Who the hell was that?" he smiled as he spoke, finding comedy in the weird conversation he just witnessed. "You never told me you had a cowboy robot pal."

"First, he's not really my pal; second, Victor never came into question. At what point would I bring him up?"

Daniel scoffed "Shit, if had a friend like that I'd boast about it everyday." He stood up, made his way to the counter and banged on the little bell sitting atop. "This should get someone's attention." He turned back to me laying his arm and back on the counter. "You're still gonna tell me your story with him right?"

I sighed. I didn't really wanna share my tale to other people, not sure why but it felt very personal, probably because it was. Besides, I didn't think others cared all that much. Just walk into any bar and you'll find out that half the people there had a bullet put in them at least once. Some cruel things simply became the norm after the world went to shit. "Look, it's a complicated story. A little long too."

"Hurgh" Dan made that grunt-growl hybrid again. "Alright, I get it. I won't mention it again. But I won't lie to you, now you have me curious. I'm guessing it has something to do with your business here in Novac."

Maybe I'll tell him my tale one day, but first I gotta make sure this trip was worth my while. Where the hell is the receptionist?

As if on cue, the back door opened, and from it came an old lady in a green dress, same tone as the rest of the room. Her brown hair was tied back into a bob and she wore a pair of old glasses, the kind your granny would wear. "Oh my, new customers! Hello there and welcome to the Dino-Dee-lite Motel!" She even sounded like a grandma, only your grandma lived in a western farmhouse her whole life, giving her that Nevada accent.

She ran behind the counter as I walked to it. She picked up a spreadsheet and pencil, setting them down in front of her. "Come closer so I can get a better look at you, honey." She then pushed her glasses back and scanned our faces. "My, you two look tired from the road, why don' you relax a spell? I can set you two up with a mighty comfy room." She looked back and forward between me and Dan. "Unless you two want to get comfortable together, cause in that case, we have a romantic bungalow for some extra-"

"No" me and Daniel almost shouted together. "A single room for each please." I concluded. This woman was so eager to sell us a room she was already taking assumptions. "By the way, I don't believe we've met yet."

She showed a little surprise. "Oh, what am I doing?! I got thinking about making a good impression and plain forgot to tell you my name. I'm Jeannie May, owner of this humble establishment. I take good care of folks as long as they aren't troublemakers." That one was a subtle message directed right at us, but it didn't offend me, every establishment in the wastes has their own way of dealing with problematic newcomers, be it armed guards or indirect warnings.

Daniel picked up on the warning too. "We won't cause any problems ma'am, we'll just be spending the night. My name is Daniel and this is Court. Now, how much will a room be?"

"Thirty bottle caps a night, but we only have two rooms with a king size bed each. Don't worry though, we can get a single up there in no time and cut the rent to fifteen. How does that sound?"

Daniel took a glance at me, probably looking for my opinion. I just gave him shrug. I doubt we'd get a better deal than this. "Sounds great, we'll take it." he finally answered. We both gathered the caps and dropped them on the counter. She pulled them into the cashier, grabbed a key hanging from a board on the wall and handed it over to Dan. Lastly, she had us sign our names into the spreadsheet.

"Thank you for choosing to stay with us tonight." Jeannie crowed. "Just give us few minutes to set up your room.

"Alright, well come back later." We both began making our way outside, but before we left through the door, Daniel turned back to make one last question. "Could you point us to a place where we can buy supplies?"

"You must have seen Dinky, our little mascot outside. If go to his left, you'll see a door on his belly. Just go right in, talk to Cliff and tell him I sent you two. He should have some nice things you two would like." She answered with the same smile she's been wearing since she walked into the room.

"Alright, thank you, have a good night." Daniel started walking out and quickly realized I hadn't moved. "Hey Court, you comin'?"

"I'll join in bit, I just wanna ask Jeannie a few questions." Dan threw me a curious look, but fortunately he did not question or argue.

Once he was out I turned to Jeannie. "So, what do you need answering?" she asked.

"A man must have passed here not too long ago, and was hoping you could tell me what you know about him."

She took a step back. "I'm sorry, but I'm no position to give information on my costumers, it's a bit of a company policy we have."

As I expected, I wouldn't be getting anything for free. I slowly slipped my hand into my front pocket, making sure Jeannie noticed, which she did with wide eyes. "I'm sure I could make it worth your while if you told me anything about a man in a checkered suit and his Great Khan escort. I hear they came into town looking to settle business with someone." Finally, I set down five bottle caps on the counter, spreading them like a deck of cards.

Jeannie took a long look at the caps before staring back at me. Finally, she took them in her hands and hid them away "Well ya see, the fella you mentioned might have been wearing a fancy outfit, but he wasn't any kind of gentleman with me. Had his nose stuck so high in the air you couldn't see it above the clouds. Them city folk always think they deserve better than what they got."

City folk huh? I guess his appearance fit the bill "What did they do while they were here?"

Jeannie scratched her head and looked up. "I'm sorry honey, but I can't seem to remember. Age has not been kind to my memory and-"  
She ate her words as soon as dropped a couple of extra caps onto the counter. "You sure you can't remember?"

Snapping her fingers, she continues "Oh, that's right, those hoodlums he was with seemed to know Many for some reason."

"So the Khans know someone in town? Is the guy they went to talk still around?"

She nodded her head. "He is, but I'm afraid he wouldn't like to be disturbed right now. You see, he's our daytime sniper. He set's up inside Dinky's mouth and keeps watch for any trouble heading our way." He stays inside the dino? I can't help but the image funny, but I guess it must keep the job somewhat interesting. Jeannie continued. "As you can imagine, it's a very tiring job, so as soon as night falls, he tucks himself into his till the sun come up the next. Chances are he's even asleep now. I say you spend the night in and talk to him tomorrow."

These clues might not be ideal, but at least I still had a trail. I guessed there was nothing else I could get out of Jeannie, at least not anything useful. "Thanks for the info Jeannie, be seeing you."

"Have a nice stay honey!"

You know, for some weird reason, I half expected the inside of Dinky the T-Rex to be somewhat true the insides of the real thing. How cool (and maybe gross) would that be? Maybe I'm a weird guy, but that would be a gimmick worth traveling to see.

To my disappointment, Dinky's belly was nothing more that a regular, small and green gift shop. A series of wooden shelves made an L shape along one corner, while the opposite corner had the shops counter. Other than the entrance, there was a door behind the counter and another one at the end of a staircase leading up (Probably leading up to the mouth).

Daniel was talking to a dark skinned man with a balding head and wearing a green polo shirt. Two water bottles, a Vault-Tec Lunch Box with various foods inside and two full magazines for Dan's H&K G3 sat on the counter, while Dan handed the man a bag of caps.

"Getting ready for the road heh?" I said as I stepped by his side. "That's a lot of food."

Dan began packing his new supplies into his bag and pockets "It's just enough for a trip to Vegas. The next pit-stop between here and there is the 188 Trading Post and it's quite a trip away."

I took a look at the Pip-Boy map and noticed he was right. There was a lot of empty between Novac and the 188, and empty usually meant danger. But then I noticed a small cluster of buildings east of the highway. It would take a small detour getting there, but it wouldn't take more 20 minutes. "What about this place, Boulder City?" I pointed to it's map marker, where the name could be read.

"There's nothing worthwhile over that pile of rubble. There's the Big Horn Saloon, but I wouldn't eat the food there." Dan turned to the vendor and raised his open palm in front of him. "This here is Cliff, who was kind enough to give us a discount since Jeannie pointed us to him. And Cliff here still owns me something, ain't that right?"

"Yes sir, excuse my hesitation, but I'm sure you understand." Cliff reached under the counter and pulled a large crucible tong, like the ones eggheads use in laboratories to pick up hot or contaminated flasks from a distance. He then placed his shirt over his nose and walked to the back door. In a hurry, he opened it, and immediately I felt a slight heat wash over my skin, along with the geiger counter on my Pip-Boy, which sparked for a second, making one or two crackling sounds. Obviously, that meant the heat was actually a small wave of radiation, which was never a good sign. Before I said anything, Cliff walked back with something in the tongs, carefully but quickly placing it down.

Let me quickly describe the… thing I was looking at. At first glance, it was a small toy rocket, all white except for the red tip and wings. And it would be just that, a toy, were not for the green round windows on the side of the rocket. Thing is, the windows weren't just green, they were glowing, glowing like a fucking light bulb.

I approached my Pip-Boy to it, as I suspect, the geiger counter began crackling. "Daniel, what in Atom's name is this?"

Daniel smirked. "What do you know, never took you for a Child of Atom"

"I'm not, I just find it funny to say that, and you are avoiding the question. Did you just spend your caps on this?"

He took a hold of the thing stored it in his bag. Of course, the radiation had no effect on the ghoul. "I did, and it cost me almost nothing, am I right Cliff?"

Cliff pulled the shirt off his face (does he think that protects him?). "True sir, no one buys these things, so we just sell them at low price."

"How did you even get these things?" I said, pointing at Cliff, then switching to Dan. "And why do you want one?"

Dan was the one to answer. "It's quite a funny story. You see, nearby there is a place called REPCONN Test site, where scientists used to work on some space stuff for the government back before the bombs. Point is, they used to give tours to kids and at the end lf these tours they'd sell these things as souvenirs." He suddenly started laughing like he remembered a really good joke and couldn't contain himself. "Heheheeh! Oh man, can you believe the little brats thought the stuff inside was drinkable? After a whole load of controversy, REPCONN stopped producing them, but they already had a shit ton left in storage. Their solution? Give it all away to the local stores, where they still remain to this day."

"Oh wow," I sounded impressed, because I was. I turned to Cliff. "Did you tell him all this?"

"No, I'm actually as surprised as you, this is news to me. How did you know all this?

"  
"Believe it or not, but I was alive to hear it all on the television. It was quite an uproar, the company's CEO even had to apologize publicly. He claimed they had so much radioactive isotope it was the cheapest thing to fill the rockets and make them glow. Ahhh, I remember it as if it happened over two hundred years ago."

"Ohhhkeeyyy…" Like I said, ghouls always have good stories to tell. "Now why do you want it?"

As he spoke he had this proud look on his face "You two probably heard that we ghouls are not only immune to radiation, but we get healed by it… well, both are true. So with this much radiation-"

That was all he needed to say. It wasn't hard to pick up on his idea. "With this much radiation concentrated on a liquid, you pretty much have a healing potion." I finished his thought." That's pretty intelligent."

"I know right, and it works better than a stimpak too. Only drawbacks are the bad taste and foul breath. I also wouldn't recommend kissing any smoothskins for a while." He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to the door. "You get yourself supplied, I'll see you in the room."

"Roger that, see ya." I looked at Cliff. "Alright, my turn. What have you got?"

I'm just gonna sum up the shopping for you. I had one empty magazine for the M1911A1 so I reloaded that. One of my two water bottles was half-empty (I'm a bit of a pessimist) so I filled that up and I traded the Gecko steaks I had for a big chunk of Bighorner meat (the next best thing to pig, but you rarely find those anywhere).

"OK, I think this everything I need." I set the bottle caps down and stored things away as Cliff picked the caps. I was about to leave when something caught my eye. Behind the counter there was a shelf. On it were different types of ammunition and a few guns, all of which I recognized, except one.

"What is that?" I pointed at the strange side arm.

Cliff glanced behind him and back at me. "Oh, that gun? I don't know really. Some guy traded it in a while back. Said it was too confusing for him."

"Too confusing? How's that gun too confusing?" I'll admit that it looked weird. It's design was strange, like a pistol mixed with a revolver. It was a little big too, not your standard sized sidearm. "Can I take a look at it?"

"Sure." He quickly grabbed it and handed it over to me. "Here you go. I'll sell it for a good price if you're interested."

I spun the black gun with wooden grip around my hand, quickly noticing a few things: it had a hammer like a revolver, and testing the trigger I found out it was double-action (no need to pull the hammer, just pulling the trigger spins cylinder). What I couldn't find out was how to open the god damn cylinder. It's definitely not like conventional revolvers. It took a while but I found out how. There were two buttons above the grip, both could easily be pressed with the thumb. One opened the cylinder (that could hold 5 rounds), while the second ejected the rounds, which made for a simple, quick and fluid movement. I also took notice of another peculiarity, there was a very small light on it's side, in front of the cylinder that remained green most of the time, but turned yellow when the cylinder was open.

But what finally sold me the gun was something else.

"Damn, I wish I'd seen it, cause I would have bought it too." Daniel said, deeply disappointed, and with good reason. he missed what was the strangest sidearms I have ever laid my hands on. Possibly one of the most powerful too.

You see, revolvers commonly use magnum rounds, like the .357 magnum that use for the Peacemaker I got from Joe Cobb in the Goodsprings shootout. Magnum rounds are regular pistol rounds but made bigger for higher impact and stopping power. The point I'm trying to make is that the gun I just bought goes one step further.

"I'm still amazed by this thing, I mean, who makes a revolver with rifle rounds?" Pressing one of the buttons, the cylinder opened, letting me slide 5.56×45mm NATO rounds into it using one of the speedloaders I bought from Cliff (speedloaders are circular "magazines" where the rounds are positioned in a way that they can all be quickly inserted into the cylinder). After the rounds were in, I shook the gun to the right, forcing the cylinder to close.

Other than the five rounds loaded in, I had bought twenty-five extra ones, all of them on speedloaders. To bring ya'll up to speed, my M1911A1 was currently holstered on my right hip, so I decided to tuck it in the back of my pants, hidden by my duster. The new gun took the place of the 1911, while the Peacemaker was placed on a holster under my left arm, making for a quick grab when the new gun ran out. Lastly, the Varmint Rifle hanged around my shoulder, resting behind my back. I was starting to feel like a walking armory, but you could never be too prepared out there.

After making sure all the guns felt comfortable, I unstrapped them and threw at the end table next to my bed. Dan and I were in our motel room, an old and worn out place, but it was comfortable enough. At least the beds were soft.

"What's that gun called? Never seen a model like that before." Daniel asked. He took a closer look to the gun, analyzing every detail. "And trust me when I say that I know a lot about guns."

"I've never seen anything like it either. I guess I should give it a name then, any ideas?" If there's one thing I suck at, is naming things. I'm just not that creative, I could spend a day thinking of a name for that gun, and it would end up being something shitty like 'The Exterminator' or 'Pain Train'.

"What about That Gun?" Daniel said without hesitation.

"That Gun?" I said confused.

"Yeah, that gun. It's so weird, different and unusual that we could just refer to it as That Gun. And the name doesn't sound half bad."

Daniel handed it over to me. I kept staring at it, considering the name. That Gun huh? Not bad, not bad at all.

"Just walk up the stairs, you'll find him on Dinky's mouth." Cliff pointed up to the door that lead to Dinky's mouth.

It was seven in the morning when Dan and I finished the breakfast Jeannie offered us at the reception. It's been a while since I had the taste of Sugar Bombs, the most sugary cereal this world has probably seen. Not a fan of sweets but I have admit, there's something about that thing that makes you wanna have more. Once I was done I made my way to Dinky by myself, where Cliff pointed me towards Manny, the daytime I hoped could help me with my chase.

I knocked on the door twice and soon got my response. "Who is it?" a male voice asked.

"Hey, sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for Manny, I need to ask him a few things." the door remained close and I was left in silence for three seconds.

"What do you want to ask him?" the man said. Oh come on I don't wanna deal with anyone one else I don't have to.

"Look, do you know where Manny is or not? Jeannie and Cliff told me I would find him here, and it's really important that I talk to him.

"Alright, chill out." The guy quickly responded. "If the guys pointed you to me then you probably don't look like trouble." I heard a key fit a keyhole and soon the door opened. "Come in."

The inside of Dinky's mouth was small, barely fitting three people. Through the opening of his mouth you could see very far in a 180° degree to the east, north and south. It was pretty and serene view, worthy of an afternoon spent sitting on a chair with a cold beer, but I had things to do so I focused on man beside me.

"I'm Manny, and I'm security detail here, so let's make this quick." Manny crossed his arms. He spoke with a professional and serious tone, showing me that he didn't like his time wasted. He wore leather armor and some ammo belts over a red shirt. He had his resting on a pistol and right behind him a scoped hunting rifle rested against a chair. "What do you need from me?"

"I need info on man that came to here recently. He wore a checkered suit and I was told his Great Khan friends knew you."

"So, you know about McMurphy and his boss, Benny?" Manny asked. Benny, that's the guy who shot me? I was expecting something more… menacing.

"Yeah, I do, and I need to find this Benny. Do you know where he went?"

"Huh…" he didn't answer, instead he thought about my question for a while. "What do you want with that guy?"

Crap. I hated when people asked me about my business. I didn't know what to answer, if he was a friend of Benny's he could send me on a false trail unless I convinced him Benny wanted me to find him. "I'm a courier, and there's a delivery I'm supposed to pick up from him."

"So you're the wasteland mailman huh?" I think he bought it. "You don't look like the type, but then again, I don't look like an Khan."

"Wait, you're a Khan?" That's what he just said idiot.

"Well, I was a Khan, but I left them for my own reasons. I still got contacts from the old days though, that's why McMurphy and company stayed the night here when they were returning from their job."

"Was Benny with them? If so, where did they go?" I had a feeling this guy was stalling me.

"Yeah, he was with them, and I let me tell you, he is not the nice kind. He smelled like trouble all over and you could see his stuck up attitude from a mile away. Not only that but he rocked this old world suit gangster all around. It's as funny as it is annoying."

God he just wouldn't get to it would he. "Right, thanks for the warning, now where did they go?"

"Well… listen, I could tell you were they went, but…" Oh Lord here we go. "I've got problems of my own, so I thought that we could make a trade. You need my help and I need yours too."

God damn it, nothing in this life is easy, is it? I hope this won't take long. "Alright, tell me what you need."

Manny's tone immediately changed from serious and professional to casual and hopeful. Seems like he had me exactly where he wanted. "You see, Novac is home for me now. I've got a good thing going here I've left one too many homes already. I want this place to be safe." Whether he truly meant that or not, he sounded honest. "Thing is, the only resource we have here is junk. We make and repair things with it, and we also trade with caravans every day. Without it, we'd have to leave town."

"And what is the problem then?" I would love to hear all about the town's history and economical structure if the circumstances were different. Chasing a man really drains your patience.

"The problem is that we used to get most of the junk from a place up the road, the old rocket test site. But then a bunch of ghouls showed up one day and took over the place, so we can't get in there now." He was either a great actor or he was genuinely concerned for this place. The way he talked almost made me feel bad for him...almost.

"So why didn't you deal with them yet?"

The sniper scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I would, but I really have to watch the roads. Did you hear about what happened in Nipton?"

It was hard holding a neutral face, but I managed. "Yeah, I heard."

"Then you must understand, all it takes is one sign of weakness for the Legion to attack. What if they decide we are next on the raid and hang list? The town needs me and Boone up here, sniping."

I was about to ask who Boone was, but I really didn't care. I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. "Ok, I deal with the ghouls and you tell me where Benny went, deal?"

"Deal."  
-


	15. Chapter 15: House of Monsters

Chapter 15: House of Monsters

The old rocket test site was very close to Novac, located just past a small canyon west of the town. Daniel and I were riding on horseback and about to enter said canyon when I decided to confront him "You know, when I invited you to spend your morning killing your fellow brethren, I was kidding."

"Really? Well I'm glad you invited me anyway, this too good of an opportunity to pass up." He said with a grin.

"What do you mean?" I scoped the road and the top of the canyon as we talked. My Varmint Rifle was at hand and fully loaded.

"Just think about it. A huge scientific and engineering facility filled with abandoned old world supplies and equipment, right for the taking. The only scavenge location that could beat this is Nellis."

"What's a Nellis?" I asked.

Daniel shook his head. "Ehh never mind that place, just stay away from it." He warned me, which left me more curious than before. "Anyway, even if you don't consider all the valuable junk Novac, the NCR and even the Followers of the Apocalypse would love to get their hands on, the security team that worked there before the bombs must have left some goodies for us right?"

"Right…" My mind wandered to the group he mentioned, The Followers of the Apocalypse. Those guys I knew about. Despite their grimm name, they are probably one the most humble, helping and righteous people in all the wasteland. They are self proclaimed anarchists who work for no government, with the mission to simply help the people of the wasteland with their medical knowledge and improve living conditions with the help of science. They are mostly composed of doctors, engineers, scientists and programmers. I hope to one day meet them, they must be an interesting bunch to talk to.

"Hold up," Daniel stopped and raised his hands into a fist, military style. "look, down the road." Inside the canyon was roadblock with a gate and a guard booth, presumably the entrance to the facility. That was all fine and dandy, the problem were the three feral ghouls wandering around the place.

"C'mon, let's take them out" Daniel whispered. We both drove our horses behind a rock as silently as we could manage. After making sure the animals were tied nicely to a short tree, we sneaked our way towards the ferals, with Dan taking charge.

I followed his lead until we positioned ourselves behind a rock sitting beside the road, about twenty feet away from the nearest ghoul.

"So, who's gonna take that shot?" I asked Dan.

"You let me take this one. Then you shoot his friend in the middle and I can finish off the last guy." He answered.

"Roger that" It was a solid plan, since his H&K G3 had a faster rate of fire compared to my rifle. He could easily take out the trio by himself, really, but if we're gonna travel together, we'll have to learn to share.

Dan kneeled next to the rock and took aim. A single shot to the head was all it took to take the ghoul down. The noise caught the attention of the other two, who immediately began sprinting towards us. The second ghoul was close enough for a shot with V.A.T.S. to the chest. The bullet hit him straight in the center and he fell down to the ground with a stroke. Soon after Daniel hit the last one in the belly, staggering the creature and allowing for a clean headshot.

"That was easy." I said calmly.

A distant roar echoed through the canyon. It came from the other end, where the road turned to the right into a large open are surrounded by high rocks and hills. In said are were located two buildings: a large dome atop the hill to the left, and a big three story facility with large letters spelling REPCONN on the front. In front of the facility was a roundabout with the statue of a rocket in the center, and around the statue five ghouls looked over at us with infuriated faces.

"You spoke too soon pal! Make a firing line, I'll take the left, you take the right!" Daniel shouted.

We both fell on one knee and took aim. There was great distance between us and the ferals, and we used that to our advantage. My first victim fell to two wounds on his chest, while the other one was easy to headshot since he was limping. Daniel had taken care of two other ghouls, but the last one was far too close for comfort. Using .S. I placed a shot through his knee, causing him to fall face-first into the ground. Daniel stood up and walked to him, finishing him off with a shot to the back of the skull.

We both breathed heavily from the adrenaline. I looked around for a bit, paying attention to any sound and after some silence, concluded that this fight was done.

(Battle report: 3 ghoul/ 5 5.56×45 rounds/ no injury)

My mag was empty, so I replaced it with a fresh one. Meanwhile Daniel was searching the corpses of the ghouls we killed plus a few that were already dead. He returned with a stimpak and a few caps on his palm.

"Here ya go." He dropped some of the caps and the stimpack on my palm. "I already took my share, and you can keep the stimpak since I've got something better." He winked.

"Alright, cool, thanks." I put the stuff in my bag before we moved on.

We began making our way down to the REPCONN facility, passing by the roundabout and the rocket statue. As we went along, i couldn't help but notice a couple of dead ferals around the place. I stoped and kneeled next to one, analyzing hiw wounds. They weren't hard to miss. "Hey, Daniel?" My friend stoppedin his tracks and came to me. "Check this guy out. Se anything peculiar?"

"Oh wow." He said in underwhelming surprise. It's not uncommon to find a dead feral ghoul, but it is uncommon to see one who got his head smashed. There were pieces of skull and brain littered around the upper part of his body, making it look like someone dropped a rock on this guy's head until it popped. I decided to take a look at the other ghouls, and surely enough, they all seemed to have been killed by impact, instead of bullets or energy burns. "Wonder what killed the guys."

"Well," Daniel sighed, strangely unahaken by these mysterious deaths. "Maybe we'll find out when we get in there. Let's go."

had our guns ready in case there was any trouble lurking atop, but we were not ready for the scene ahead of us.

"The fuck-" I gasped. "What in God's name is this thing?"

"I'm not sure," Dan answered, scratching his chin. "But it looks like a Super Mutant."

"But it's blue!"

Super-Mutants had a long history in the wasteland, something to do with unethical experimentation and the development of a super army through a virus that forced humans to evolve. Super Mutants look like people, except they're twice as tall, are buffed and muscular beyond natural capabilities and have green colored skin. Also it's worth mentioning they're just slightly smarter than a rock, besides having some serious anger management issues. If you tried playing chess with one he'd end up smashing the board on the first move, before smashing you.

Luckily, we wouldn't have to worry about an angry hulking creature smashing our chess boards, since this one was dead.

Like I mentioned, this super-mutant had a deep blue skin instead of green. He wore nothing more than pants and a leather strap over his body, other than a brown rag around his head, like a cowl. In his hand was a long piece of rebar with a square of concrete, kind of like a makeshift sledgehammer or club. Another strange thing about these guys is that they all have leather straps around their lips, holding them open like they're about to be checked by a dentist. I've never seen a supie without one, and till this day I've never found out why they all have it.

"So, how do you think it died?" I asked Daniel.

He pointed towards the mutant's cheek and chest. "Check out these burn marks." I looked closer and noticed charred red and black holes all over his skin. Some of them had a green slimy tint.

"Energy weapons?" I asked, and Dan nodded.

"Well, seems like we've been given another mystery." He joked. "At least now we know what killed those ferals." He pointed at the rebar club the monster held, and I noticed the blood and pieces of flesh on one of the sides. "Come on, let's get inside. And check your corners, whoever killed this thing might be in there, and we don't know if they're friendly or not."

The inside of the building was about as bad as the outside, and it too held a surprise. Two ghouls laid dead around the reception, one had it's chest caved in, while the other was missing his head. The thing is, those ghouls did not look feral. They were both wearing a dark green robe and boots, each holding a laser rifle on their cold, dead hands.

"Friends of yours?" i joked with Dan.

"Nope," he replied. "But it seems like they were kind enough to leave us presents." He ran over to them and searched their bodies up and down, gathering all the guns, ammo, meds and caps he could find. He gathered them up in a pile under the receptionist's desk, ending up with two laser rifles, a plasma pistol, multiple microfusion cells (energy weapon ammo), two stimpaks and a couple of caps. He grabbed some of the caps in one hand and took the rest along with the stimpaks on the other.

"Here, these are for you" he put his share away into his pockets and handed me mine. "Be a darling and remind me to pick these on our way out." He said, pointing at the pile of loot. The plan was to pack it all once we were done here and sell them to anyone willing to buy. Energy Weapons were somewhat rare and very valuable.

A low crackle came up from the room, like a microphone turning on, then followed by a voice. "Hey, smoothskin, over here!" the voice sounded like it came from a speaker. Daniel and I looked around trying to find the source.

"Over here you idiot. Come on, I don't have the time for this." The voice boomed again. Whoever was talking sounded kind of sounded like Daniel, just a little less rough. I managed to pinpoint it to a small intercon next to the receptionist's desk.

I ran over to it and eyed the device. I figured I should press the red button on it to speak. "Hello, who's this?"

"Go to the big room on the east side of this building and go up the metal staircase all the way to the top." The man barked. "And hurry, they'll be coming for you. Also try not kill my friends." The intercom produced a short static before going silent.

I pressed the button again. "Wait, what? Who are you? Who's coming, what friends?" Too many questions, none of which were answered. I was about to speak into the intercom again when I heard multiple curious growls coming from the western wing of the building.

"Ghouls are coming, I've gotta move, follow me" Dan tapped me in the arm and began running for the eastern wing.

"I've gotta move?" I asked, following behind him.

"Yeah, of course. Ferals won't attack me unless I provoke them. That's ghouling 101 pal."

Oh ain't that convenient for him? The growls and roars were getting louder by the second, and when I glanced back I saw a ghoul crash against the door frame we passed, followed by six ghouls behind him.

"There are too many and they're too close, we've gotta lose them!" I shouted to Dan as I ran by his side.

"Find the stairs the guy mentioned!" he shouted back. We passed a new door into a large and tall room filled with machines and conveyor belts. Seemed like some sort of assembly room. At the back corner wasa high metal staircase that led to a viewing platform.

"There!" I pointed to the staircase, and the both of us rushed towards it. As soon as we reached the first step, six ghouls burst into the room and rushed the stairs. Climbing as fast we could, Daniel and I were almost at the top when I felt something wrap around my leg. I slipped but managed to break the fall with my arms. I looked down to see one of the ghouls on the floor, clinging to my left leg. Luckly, the other ferals were tripping over one another, so they hadn't reached us yet.

"Sorry friend, but Court steak is off the menu!" I brought my right foot down on his face, with a kick that landed with a satisfying impact that stunned him enough to let me go. Dan helped me get back on my feet and we continued running.

We soon reached the platform. I quickly looked around for something that could stop or at least slow the ghouls down, but the place was empty with the exception of a door and a intercom. "There!"

We quickly crossed the place and reached said door. I tried the handle but it wouldn't even budge. "Daniel, it's locked!" The damn thing didn't even have a lock for me to pick.

Dan cursed under his breath. He turned to the intercom on the wall and pressed the red button. "Hello, can anyone hear me?"

Only silence followed, a silence soon broken by the sounds of the ferals making their way to the top. They were just a few steps short of making it, so either we get lucky with the door or we make our stand.

"Come on, if anyone can hear me, we need you to open the door on the top side of the assembly room!" Dan spoke into the intercom again.

When no one answered, a simple idea suddenly jumped to mind. I pulled That Gun and aimed it below the door's handle. "Ok, take a step back, I'm opening this thing up."

Just as I was about to press the trigger, I heard a series of loud crackles coming from my right.

"Woah hold on smoothskin, you don't wanna do that." The same voice from before echoed through the platform. "I'll open the door for you, but be quick to close it, we don't wanna let our angry guests in do we?"

The door made short 'click' just as the first ghoul tripped into the platform. He was followed by all his other friends and they all took no delay in sprinting to us.

I tried the handle again and thankfully, it turned with ease. "Daniel, come on!"

We both rushed inside, the ghouls just a feet away from grabbing us. We closed the door behind us with all our strength and we held it against the ferals that banged on it furiously.

The banging kept going for a minute or two until one by one, the creatures gave up. Once we were sure they were gone, Daniel and I leaned against the walls and allowed our bodies to slide against them until we were both sitting on the ground.

We were breathing heavily, our chests inflating and deflating like balloons. We looked at one another, contemplating how worn-out we both looked. Just a couple of feral ghouls in a closed space were enough to send us running with our tails between our legs. I've been put through worse situations before, but if there's one thing I hate are ferals! They're mindless beasts that can barely be slowed down. It doesn't help that they walk in groups and a simple bite form them can give you all kinds of diseases, along with radiation poisoning. It only gets worse when you think that they used to be normal people, each with their own thoughts and goals, now reduced to wandering zombies with the same mindset: eat anything that moves.

"Heh. Heheheh hahahahaaa." Daniel began laughing like a madman. "Oh boy, what a ride… let's never do this again."

"Hahah." I laughed weakly. "Yeah, next time we stand and fight. I hate running, it's so exhausting."

A door opened at the end of the corridor we were in opened up, and from it came a balding man with black hair, a short mustache and a white lab coat. He looked like your regular middle-aged scientist. He walked to where we were and switched looks between us. Finally, he set his eyes on me.

"God, but are you ugly!" He shouted. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, and surely enough, he was still looking at me with disgust.

"Ahn, excuse me?" I asked confused.

"Jesus, get away from me before I throw up just from looking at you." The bald man spoke with more disgust. He was undoubtedly the man on the intercom, easily recognized by his rusty gravelly voice. Strange, I expected him to be more… ghoulified.

"Uhm, I think you meant those insults at." I pointed my thumb at Daniel, who had no time to feel offended since he was trying really hard not laugh.

"Nice joke smoothskin, now get of your ass and go upstairs. Jason wants to talk to you."  
With that, he turned around and left us in there, me with a wide open mouth and Daniel with a dumb smile on his face.

"Please, do not tell me the human believes he is a ghoul." I asked Daniel as we zigzaged around the maze-like second floor of the REPCONN test site. The place was crowded with ghouls, but thankfully none were the bad kind. They were dressed like the two dead ones we found at the reception downstairs, and most carried different types of energy weapons with them.

"Eh, I've seen stranger people who believe in stranger things." Daniel responded with ease. "You get used to it after two hundred years."

"This is unbelievable!" No matter how much I tried, i couldn't swallow that pill "The guy thinks he's a ghoul so he uses that excuse to be rude to us smoothskins. And I get that many ghouls become targets of mean and cruel jokes but that doesn't give them the right to be an asshole. Some of us are nice to ghouls, some even like them, so don't you think it's ironic and even hypocritical that the bullied become the bullies themselves?"

Dan stopped walking and stared at me in silence for a second before speaking. "Did you just suddently get all politically correct on me?"

"I-I guess I did…"

"Where did all that come from?"

"I-I don't really know."

"… Do… Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, please Let's just keep going." And with that we turned left up a set of stairs and into a new room. All over the walls different things set up or hanged. Tables, shelves, boards, maps, blueprints, chemical stations and many other things littered the place, each with a ghoul working or simply messing around. Everything looked makeshift or badly assembled, like they were made in a hurry and probably won't remain there for very long.

"So, who do you figure is this Jason fella?" I asked Daniel as I searched for anyone out of the ordinary. Fake ghoul downstairs said Jason would jump out to us like a tube of gaseous Tritium in a dark cave (whatever that meant).

"I dunno, all these guys are dressed more or less the same." Daniel answered. He was right, these ghouls were also wearing green long robes, and nothing about them looked peculiar or particularly special.

We were about walk to someone and ask for help, but we didn't need to since the man himself came to us.

"Ahh, these must be the wanderers I was told about." Someone's voice boomed behind us, and before I go any further, let me tell you, how did that voice boomed!

It was like God himself spoke to me, with his loud but suave voice swimming through my ears like sonorous butter. I'm not kidding, there was holy effect I thought could only be produced through computer programs, but here this ghoul was, speaking to me like some unreal entity.

"Please, forgive us for our humble surroundings, but we are not in the most favorable of situations. I am Jason Bright, and am the Shepherd of the Great Journey." Said the ghoul, and in a bit you'll understand why I almost couldn't hold a laugh.

I was already dumbfounded by the guy's voice, but when I looked at him my surprise only got stronger. I now understood why he stood out amongst other, it's not everyday that you run into a glowing one.

Glowing ones are ghouls, sane or feral, that absorbed such a high amount of radiation that their bodies glow like green light bulbs. As a better comparison, they glow like the rocket toy Daniel bought back on Dinky. Over his rotted shining body he wore a full red wine suit, but the color was worn out and there were holes everywhere. And on a side note, isn't it funny that his last name is "Bright"?

"Oh wow. Eh... hi. I – I'm Court Tempest and this is Daniel Utah, and we, eh..." My attempt of introduction was cut by a hand on my shoulder.

"Real smooth" Daniel whispered behind my ear and then turned to Jason. "Hello there, what my friend here means to say is that we need to talk."

"Indeed we do travelers." He turned around and motioned us to follow. "But we shall do it in the confines of my quarters. Come." Daniel and I shared a look before he shrugged and began following Jason. I just shook my head and followed. What kind of crazy chem was on those Sugar Bombs I ate for breakfast?

A short walk took us to a small office/bedroom I assumed belonged to Jason. Dan and I took seats on one side of a desk while Jason sat on the other.

"Now wanderers, tell me what brought you to this place." Jason asked.

Daniel took charge of the conversation, which had me a little confused, since this was technically my mission but whatever. "Let me get straight to the point. The people of Novac have taken notice to all the feral ghouls around and in here."

"And they've been shooting them down like animals haven't they?" Jason asked, slightly infuriated. I hope he wasn't mad at the fact we had to kill of couple ferals ourselves. "These ghouls are part of my flock, even after the madness has consumed their minds. We never let them wander free." I think i was starting to get the picture here. Religious nutjob with a mission. You'd be surprised how uncommon this is.

"Then why are they all over the outside? You know how easy it is for them to wander towards town?" I asked, barging into the conversation.

"I am aware of the dangers, and that is why we kept them locked on the first floor of the building. They were safe, they were contained… but then the demons came." He spoke that last line with caution.

"Demons?" Daniel asked.

"They appeared out of nowhere… except it is more accurate to say they never appeared at all." Taking notice of our confusion, Jason cleared his throat to better explain things. "Believe me when I say it, the demons are invisible. Where one of them stands, most one can see is the air shimmering, like sunlight on water."

Invisibility? Air shimmering? This sounds all too familiar. I looked over to Daniel and it was clear that he too thought of the same thing. There are very few things in this world that can turn invisible, so 9 our 10 times you can bet Stealth-Boys are involved. These devices were developed in the prelude of the Great War, and as you can imagine, they can be pretty damn useful. You can wear the things like a wrist watch and activate them to your liking till they run out of juice. Don't me how they work, just know that they do, and pretty god damn well.

"So these demons attacked you and broke the ferals out. What's keeping you people here then?" I was trying to find a way to tell these guys Novac wanted them to leave, but without pissing them off.

"It is here that we will begin the Great Journey, outsider." Jason was visibly happy to explain this "Great Journey" to us. "It is here that the Creator has sent us to escape the barbarity of the wasteland, especially the violence and bigotry from its human inhabitants."

"You… wish… to escape the wasteland…?" Daniel asked, and Jason nodded in agreement. "Remind of how plan of doing that again."

"This was once a place of science, but today, we shall use it as a place of was here that man before the war built machines to reach the stars, and we shall follow their steps to reach the Far Beyond." Jason looked up to the ceiling with glee. Don't think he was talking about the roof though. "I've only glimpsed it in my visions wanderers, but what I've seen is truly miraculous. A place of light and healing, where my flock will finally be safe. I know it in my soul."

Great, they wanna fly into space. Alright Court, don't do anything that will offend the glowing preacher, just… just go along with it. "And I am right to assume that the demons have gotten in the way of your Great Journey?" I asked Jason.

"You are correct." He took on a tone of grief. "We were all in the basement, where preparations for the Great Journey were being made when the devils set upon us. My flock… " Jason looked down at his hands. "they fought bravely, and killed a few but… at what cost?" The ghoul locked his eyes into mine, and I don't know how or why, but I felt something. His glowing pupils looked unnatural and out of this world, and despite that, his expression was so… human. Ironically enough, his emotions were radiating to the point that I too felt sad for the loss of those ghouls.

I was knocked out of my trance when Dan began to speak. "You haven't returned to the basement yet. Is it because the demons still down there?"

Jason didn't answer, instead he just nodded briefly.

That was a lot to eat up. I was at a loss of words and loss of action. All I wanted was some information but I ended up talking to leader of a fanatic group that believes in some Creator and in the promised land or something. Not only that but supposedly there is a group of "demons" out there who can turn invisible. My mind went back to the blue super-mutant we saw outside. Maybe he was one of the demons, and if so, what are they doing here? I don't know, and I honestly don't care. I just needed find a way to get these people and things away from here, and think I know how.

"Jason, if we get rid of these demons, will you and your flock leave the test site?"

From the corner of my eyes I saw Daniel give me a worried look. It was indeed a stupid idea, but that's due to the absence of a better one.

Jason on the other seemed to glow even brighter. "Praise the Creator! Bless you Wanderer! Bless us all." He cheered and prayed with glee. He grabbed my hand and rested his head on it, all while whispering words I assumed were prayers. I couldn't help but notice that my Pip-Boy's geiger counter crackled as he held me. After he was done with me, he repeated the same ritual with Dan.

"Yeah, sweet, thanks for the blessing pal, but what we could really use is some info on the demons. Preferably a good way to kill them." Dan asked, restraining his annoyance. Seems like he doesn't appreciate getting touched.

"Ahh, yes, of course. The demons can be killed like any mortal creature, although they are clearly more resilient. The biggest obstacle of course is their stealth, and that I sadly cannot help you with, but I know that you will succeed on your holy mission, for the Creator is by your side." Jason reached into his jacket and pulled a small silver key. "Here, this is the key for the basement. We locked it as an attempt to stop them, but I'm sure that if they plan on leaving, a small door would not stop them."

Dan and I stood above the stairs that led to the basement door, and at our feet was a pile of smoking ash. Most of the cinders had burned out but there was still some heat coming from it.

"Laser?" I asked Daniel.

"Laser." He responded. Seeing how the religious ghouls were all equipped with energy weapons and there was a rebar club next to the pile, just like the one on the dead "demon" outside, I'd say Jason and his flock had a little fight here. That idea was backed up by the dead ghoul in green robes behind us.

We grabbed anything of value he had and hid it inside a trash can so we'd come back for it later. Dan closed the lid and cleaned his dirty hands on the dead ghoul's robe.

"Come on, that's rude." I complained.

Dan scoffed. "Ahh don't worry, he'll understand that it's for the good of the Great Jorney." He tried to imitate Jason's holy voice, which ultimately failed. "By the way, I think I know what these demons are."

I stared at him, surprised. "You do?" He nodded in confirmation. "Then why didn't you say earlier?"

"Because I didn't think they were real. I heard stories of invisible super-mutants before, but I thought they were just a bunch Brahmin shit." He turned his head to the side. "And I was told they were purple, not blue."

"Well, they're kinda purple." I said, remembering the corpse we saw outside.

"What, no they're not, the dead one was clearly blue." Daniel contested.

Yeah, I think they're more blue than purple, but I wouldn't be surprised that someone could think they're purple from a certain lighting or perspective."

"Court, what point are you trying to make?"

I thought about his question for a second and felt ashamed. I sometimes ramble on random topics for no reason whatsoever, it's something I do since childhood and I've never managed to stop. I cleaned my throat "Sorry about that. Anyway, what do you know about them?"

"They're named Nightkin, a name they got from their old master, the same guy that made the super mutants. They supposedly used to be some elite stealth squad but after the super-mutant army disbanded, the Nightkin go around the wastes looking for Stealth-Boys." Dan explained.

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "Talk about brand devotion."

"I know right. But I don't blame them. Few people known this, but Stealth-Boys really fuck with the brain. I don't know the specifics, but they can hook you up like Jet. It makes me wonder if the Nightkin believe there are Stealth-Boys down there." Dan pointed down at the basement door.

I shrugged and pulled out That Gun from the holster. "Guess we'll find out."

We set up on both sides of the door. I took the key in my free hand and placed it in the keyhole. Looking at Dan, I waited for his mark to open.

"Ok, get ready…" Dan stepped in front of the door and aimed forward. "Go."

With a swift movement, I unlocked the door and opened it. From where I was I could see the opposite side of the wall to the left of the door, while Dan had his eyes aim deep inside the other room. There was no one waiting for us, and no traps had been sprung, so we moved in.

Once inside, my first instinct was to sneeze, which did, but with my face buried in my sleeve.

"Ahhtchoou!"

"Jeez, yeah, go ahead and tell everyone we're home. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet our acquaintance." Daniel whispered angrily.

"Argh, sorry," I apologized. "It's just that this room so god damn dusty." I wasn't lying. Most of the lights in the room were broken, but the ones that remained revealed a thick and endless cloud of dust that was all over the place. We were now inside a dark and cold room where everything was made of concrete or metal. We made our way across towards another, this time it was one of those fancy mechanical doors that open in the middle and go into the floor and ceiling.

I hit the open button and Daniel and I rushed in back to back, each aiming in one direction. I was satisfied with the way we worked and moved together, covering each other's flank and moving carefully and tactically. I didn't ask where he learned all these moves but he'd probably say something about living over two hundred years.

We now found ourselves in a long corridor that lead in two directions. Along the way were multiple doors and a few twists and turns. Everything was awfully quiet, and it was slightly darker than before, so I had the urge to use the light function in my Pip-Boy, and ultimately decided against it since I'd turn me into a neon sign that read "Nightkin snacks here!".

With two fingers, Daniel pointed down the corridor and began moving that way. I followed him as he went along, watching the rear all times. Every once in a while, I looked down at my Pip-Boy compass, looking out for any blips. Of course, I didn't know if someone using a Steath-Boy would show up or not, but it didn't hurt to check.

And thank god I did, because when we reached a turn that led into a smaller corridor, a yellow blip popped up. "Hold up." I whispered. "There's someone in there."

"How do you know?" Dan asked back.

"Just trust me, come on." I walked down that corridor to a closed door at the end. I turned to Daniel and warned "Whoever is in there should be friendly, so don't go shooting."

He grimmed and raised his battle rifle. "Won't be making any promises."

Smashing the button, Daniel and I rushed in, guns in the ready. Standing behind a metal desk surrounded by filing cabinets was large hulking blue super-mutant, or a Nightkin. He wore leather pants and a large red rag as a shirt. A round and brown cloth circle was patched on his chest with a large white V drawn on it. And of course, he had those weird leather straps holding his lips open.

"Argh, two intruders! How did you get in here?" the Nightkin startled with a loud, thick and powerful voice. He reached for his back, almost taking hold of a huge rusted sword, almost as big as me; but he stopped halfway through and looked down at the table. "What's that Antler? A visitor?" he looked back at us and scanned us from the feet up. "An assassin, more like. I say kill it, for safe's sake."

I tilted my head towards Dan and whispered. "Uh, who is he talking to?"

Dan stepped closer and whispered back. "I-I think he's talking to that skull."

There indeed was the skull of a horned animal sitting on the desk. I might be crazy but the mutant was indeed looking at the skull as he spoke.

He switched some glances between us and the skull before keeping his eyes on Antler and continuing. "Huh? …Okay Antler, I'll ask." He looked at us again. "Hi, human and ghoul. Why you come here?"

Dan and I shared a quick look, trying to decide who should take the lead on this one. I swallowed dry and took a step forward, all while pointing That Gun to the roof as a sign of peace. "He-Hello there, uh, we mean you no trouble. I'm Court and this is Daniel, we're here about the ghouls upstairs, we'd like to work things out."

"A human who is friends of the ghouls? Suspicious." He got slightly annoyed at their mention. "Antler use intercom and tell them stay put. But they want to come down here in basement anyway?"

"Well you see, uh… sorry, but you didn't tell me your name." I said carefully. This guy looked like a nuke ready to go off.

"My kin call me Davison, and I am leader of my kin." He spoke proudly.

"Right..." I took a quick look at Daniel, who looked as confused as I was he just nodded foward, telling me to keep talking. "As I was saying Davison, the ghouls have something really important to do down here. Maybe your kin and them could come to an understanding?"

"Impossible!" the mutant shouted loudly enough to make my ears ring. He startled me so bad my heart almost jumped out through my throat.

"Alright, alright, let's calm down." I slowly walked a step forward. "And why would that be impossible?"

Instantly the Nightkin's powerfull stance became limp, and he looked down as if he were ashamed of something. "My kin… they are not eh, right in head like I am."

"They're like, crazy?" This time Daniel asked the question.

"Yes. They attack you on sight. Ghouls too! You and ghoul friends will have to wait until we get what Antler brought us to get."

Oh no. I knew where this was going. "You came here to find something?"

"Uhh…" the mutant scratched his bald head. "Antler brought us here for reason… what was that again Antler?"

The room was silent for a while, all of us staring at the skull. A few seconds later Davison jumped "Right! A piece of paper! Shipment invoice, said hundreds of Stealth-Boys were sent here long time ago… but Stealth-Boys must be in the room we can't search yet!" he became very angry again.

"Why can't you search the room?" I asked him.

"A ghoul! But this one is not squishy like others. Ghoul is tough." There was a little admiration to his tone. Seems like this ghoul has proved to be a capable fighter. "I thought Antler said to send man into the room, but they all dead now. Ghoul is a crack shot and set up traps too." He swiched his tone a loud and strict one, like he was trying to avoid showing emotion.

"Then I realize I hear Antler wrong, so I lock the door to keep kin out and wait for Antler to tell me what to do."

Raising his big muscular finger and pointing it at me, Davison continued. "But now you come along, and Antler say you're solution. You go in there and get rid of ghoul. You're human, so maybe he won't shoot you." I couldn't really tell, because of those leather straps on his mouth, but something tells me he was smiling. "Maybe he will."

I was honestly tired of running all these errands. All I wanted were some fucking directions but here I am, sneaking about in dark and damp corridors just so I can get a ghoul to leave so some Nightkin can leave so some ghouls can leave. This day ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be.

"Why did we agree to this again?" Daniel asked me, visbly and audibly stressed.

"Because dealing with one ghoul is probably a thousand times easier than dealing with God knows how many crazed blue mutants." I answered, with as much enthusiasm as Daniel had.

"Good point."

We reached the end of the main corridor, where the locked door was. Two dead Nightkins rested on the floor, one had a large chunk of meat ripped from his head and the other was burned and missing an arm.

The door was another one of those tech ones that open in the middle, so instead of a key we were given a key-card. I swiped it on a scanner and a red light on the door-pad became green. With a hiss the door opened, and we carefully stepped in.

"Come get it you big dumb- oh, wait, you're not one of them." The raspy voice came from above, and the man who spoke was unmistakably a ghoul. He wore a big heavy duster full of pockets along with jeans, and judging by the volume of his clothing, I had no doubt he wore body armor under everything. In his hands he held a mean hunting rifle, probably the one that ripped a piece out of that mutant's face.

"Yeah, we're not some big dump lump of blue muscle, so maybe you can lower that rifle and we can talk." Daniel shouted back at the ghoul. He was standing one level above us, on a metal platform that overlooked the room. I could see we were inside a storage room, seeing all the crates and containers around.

"Who are you, what do you want?" the ghoul asked.

"Hi there, name's Court and this is my partner, Daniel. I think we started on the wrong foot, how about you tell us your name?"

"My name is Harland, now answer the other question. What do you want!" he was definitely getting inpatient.

"Harlan, we need you to leave this room." Daniel said, cold and direct.

"And why the hell would I do that." He asked.

I sighted and let out a heavy breath. It's story time. "Look, you're probably with Jason's group right? Well the Great Journey can't go on because of the Nightkin, and the Nightkin won't leave until they find a shipment of Stealth-Boys that's supposed to be down here. So if you won't leave the room, at least let us check it out."

Harland thought over all I said, which I'm sure was a lot to take in. "I see. You got one thing right, I was a part of Jason's group, which surprises me to see a human here and not him. What, was it the Creator's divine will for you to risk his ass and not him?"

His reaction was not the one I expected. "Did something happen between you and Jason?"

"No, not really." It didn't sound like he was lying. "I just never bought all that religious mumbo-jumbo with the robes and shit. Truth is, I just liked the company of other ghouls. They may be crazy, but they're fun to be with. And I don't have to tell that the group has some fine looking ghoulettes!" he said maliciously, which felt like an unnecessary addition. "What?! It gets lonely out there in the wastes. Anyway, I hanged around and helped them out while they kept me fed, loaded and in good company."

"If you liked to hang with them, then join them again. They set up at the last levels of the building. We can help you get there." I said, placing all of my charisma onto my voice.

"Ha, you're polite, I'll give you that. And I'd love to go back with you if it was just about me, but it's not." His expression got really deep and melancholic all of sudden. He looked depressed too. "I had a… friend with me when those bastards jumped us. She panicked and ran the wrong direction – further into the lowest level of the basement…"

Dan stepped forward to talk to him. "Look pal, I can see you cared for her, but you probably know what this means right?"

"Yeah, she's probably dead, but I ain't leaving till I know for sure! I've been trying to find a way out of this place, but these mutants are everywhere. I don't know how you two manage."

I've been asking myself that question ever since we got down here. The only Nightkin we've met is Davison, all the others were dead when we found them. How long till we run into one of the crazed ones their leader mentioned?

"So you're just hole up in here till the end of days?" I asked, a little furious. Once again, I knew where this was going.

"Well, I could stay here a long time. Radroaches don't taste that bad if you know how to cook 'em and there's some water leaking from the tubes up here, so… but you two know how to get aroun-"

"Fuck this, come on Daniel." I interrupted Harland.

"Whoa, where are we going?" he asked as he followed me out of the room.

"We are gonna find this ghoulette. And I swear that if she sends me on another errand, the Creator help her."


	16. Chapter 16: Going Under

Chapter 16: Going Under

So there we were, silently walking down a set of metal stairs that led to a darker and damper area of this god-forsaken basement. You'd think this place couldn't get any dustier, but you'd be wrong. Keeping sneezes and coughs away has been the most challenging thing I've done all day. Or at least the most challenging thing I've done so far.

"Hold up." Daniel whispered, holding his fist in the air. "Do you hear that?"

 ***Thud***

 ***Thud***

We were both crouched behind some old broken machine, down in some sort of viewing room. I call it that because three-fourths of the place had a grated metal floor that looked down into more machines and empty rooms. I don't know what purpose these machines served, but this place had a strange layout.

I shouldn't complain though. It was the strange choice of flooring that helped me locate where these metallic * _thuds_ * were coming from. They came from the opposite side of the room, each going off in a constant rhythm.

"Footsteps, heavy ones." Daniel concluded. "Get military, we've got Nightkin down here with us."

Rifles in hand, the two of us set down near the end wall, keeping our eyes and ears ready for any movement and noise. The heavy steps were slowly getting louder, but nothing would come into view. Perhaps it was the darkness, perhaps the Stealth-Boys worked better than I thought, or maybe, just maybe, the steps were further away than they sounded. I couldn't really be sure, since they suddenly came to a halt.

Ok, that's unsettling. Glancing over to Dan, I could see he was as worried as me. He gave me a quick shrug and a head shake. Great, there was some eight foot monstrosity hidden hidden inside this room, and it probably had it's mad eyes set on us. Sweat rolled down my cheek down to my chin. It goes without saying that I was nervous, and as much as hate to admit it, I was also frightened.

* _H_ _iss*_

Amongst the deep silence, that hiss caught all of my attention. It was the sound of gas leaking, and it come from somewhere to my left.

* _F_ _lick*_

Sparks appeared out thin air a few feet from me. They soon turned into a short flame, a flame that floated in thin air and illuminated the room a little. I could almost see the wall behind it, and I say almost because the wall was blurry, distorted, like I was staring at it through water. Funny, that fits the description Jason gave us on the demons.

"Shit!" I leaped and rolled to my right, behind the cover of a pile of boxes against the wall. A gush of flames showered said boxes, setting them on fire, but at least they were enough to shield me from the fire. I was safe for the moment, but the wood was already breaking down and I don't think my cover would last for long.

Lucky, my partner was already in action and began firing at the general direction of the flames. They quickly ceased and were replaced by the heavy footsteps from earlier, but this time they were much faster.

" **Ugh!** "

That was the sound of Daniel being knocked into the wall by some invisible force. It held him there, seemingly by neck since he wrapped his hands in the blurry air around throat. I could see Daniel through the fuzzy shape of the Nightkin. I aimed my rifle between Dan's legs, this way I would hit the creature, but miss my partner in case the bullet went through, although I doubt it would.

" **AAAARRRGH!** " The mutant screamed. Blood exploded out the mass of blur, which let go of Dan and sprinted into the darkness.

The ghoul fell to the ground on his ass. He wheezed and coughed loudly, grasping for all the air he could find. "Fuck, are you ok?" I asked him.

"* _Cough*_ Oh yeah * _Cough*_ I'm just fine. I love myself some bear hugs." He answered through a shower of coughs, but not letting go his sarcastic tone.

Of course he wasn't ok you dense motherfucker. I helped him up and picked his H&K G3 off the ground. "Come on soldier, we're going on a monster hunt." He took the gun and followed me as I chased the line of blood left by the Nightkin.

"It's too fucking dark in here!" Daniel complained.

"Hang on, I got just the thing." I flicked a small switch on the side of the Pip-Boy, and the screen raised it's brightness till it lit up the room like a flashlight. I panned the device around, illuminating the floor and walls around us. I spotted the end of the blood trail as it turned into a door that led into the lower lever, below the grated floor.

Rushing down the stairs, we moved fast but carefully, checking every little corner. The rooms bellow had working lights along the walls and were separated in half by a wall with a door, a door that sprung open.

" **DIIIIIIIIEEE HUMANS!** " Standing on the frame was the Nightkin, now visible and showing what he was packing. He must have figured that his Stealth-Boy wouldn't be of much use in all this light, so instead he'd go beserk with his massive flamethrower.

Dan and I jumped in opposite directions, dodging the flames he just threw at us. The mutant turned his weapon towards Daniel, who was forced to retreat back up the stairs we just came from. That gave me enough time to open V.A.T.S. and shoot the creature in his right shoulder. The wound was enough to make him drop his heavy weapon, but he took no time to cry, instead, he began sprinting towards me like he did to Dan.

I had already loaded another round in my rifle, and used V.A.T.S. to his him straight into the chest. It made the monster flinch, but he just kept coming. Full of adrenaline, I moved like lighting, droping the Varmint Rifle and pulling both my revolvers out. That Gun on my right hand and the Colt SAA on the left, I used my remaining AP (for those who don't remember, it's the "battery" for V.A.T.S) and locked two shots into the Nightkin's head. He was just four feet from me now, which meant this was the last chance I'd get to kill him. At least the short distance meant I had 95% chance to hit him.

* _ **BANG**_ * * _ **BANG**_ *

A shot through the nose and another through the forehead was enough to bring the hulking creature down. I could see the life drain out of his eyes as they twisted up his skull. Sadly, he was already coming at me with a high velocity and nothing to stop him, so hid corpse was brought down on top of me.

"Hugh!" I didn't even get a fighting chance. He was way too heavy for me, so I was tackled to the ground, and could barely breath as he crushed me.

"You know, most of the chicks I know are dead or two centuries old, but I still have some contacts around in case you're looking for a quick hook up. At least they look better than this one." From the corner of my eye I could see Daniel aproach me.

"God damn it…" I said, laughing softly as I stared at the ceiling. "A joke, really?"

"Better to laugh than cry. Here, let me help you get that load off ya." He grabbed the Nightkin's and began pulling him. With my help, we soon got the thing of me, and I stood up with a heavy breath.

I loaded one round into the Colt SAA, but left the Varmint Rifle and That Gun as they were, I'd load them when they were empty. "Let us please, never, ever do this again."

"I hear ya." Dan agreed. "Now let's find that ghoulette."

(Battle Report: 1 Nightkin/ 3 5.56×45 NATO, 1 .357 Magnum/ Injury: little bruise from the fall, will heal soon)

Dan and I were eager to find the ghoul, report back to Harland and do all we needed to do to get this day over with. We thought we'd be relieved when we found her. We didn't think we'd find another massacre.

"Oh Jesus, not again. Not again!" Daniel almost shouted angrily. I wanted to shout too, be angry, punch a wall. Instead, I swallowed the pain and sighted. A pile of corpses is not a horrifying as the crosses, but it was just as cruel. Seems like the Nightkin had turned one of the rooms down on the basement into a mass grave. Dozens of ghouls, most dressed as Jason's followers were pilled up in this maintenance shed and left to rot. Flies and radroaches had already showed up to fest on the remains, and the foul smell of decay had impregnated the place.

"Let's go back to Harland. We gotta tell him the bad news…" I said, depressed and melancholic.

"And just leave them here like this?" Daniel spun around with his hand on his mouth. "I'm not just gonna turn my back like we did in Nipton!"

"Come on Dan, don't be stupid, let's go." I turned around started leaving, but was interrupted by an arm pull.

"Stupid? You calling me stupid for wanting to give these people rest? Fuck you, if ain't gonna help, don't, but don't get in the way."

He was acting strange again. I noticed his sudden anger when we saw that slaughter yesterday, and this was just like it. He was hidding something personal, and it didn't really matter what it was, bu he needed to get a hold of himself.

"What do you want us to do Daniel?" I asked, getting in his face. "Carry all of them to the top? Burry them, give'em a proper funeral and everything?" Daniel faced down, unable to look me in the eye. "That's right, it's a stupid idea. I can see that you don't like the sight of dead innocents, and guess what, no one does, but it's the second time I see you lose your mind over it. They are dead Daniel, and you had nothing to do with it, and there was nothing you could have done to stop it. Why the fuck does this piss you off so much, huh?"

He didn't answer, instead he just walked in circles around the room, angry, thinking. A good minute passed when he turned back to me. "When we go back, when the mutants leave this basement, we tell Jason about them. Make sure they get buried."

"Of course. It's the most reasonable thing to do." I spoke calmly. "Can we leave now?"

"Sure thing…" his anger turned into sadness. "Let's get back to-

"WAIT!"

A muffled voice echoed through the room. We looked around and pinpointed the voice to the opposite end of the basement. The speaker was a girl and she was behind a closed door on the right end of the room. Surprisingly, she didn't sound like a ghoul. What was another human doing here? "Hello, are you still there?"

"Uh, hi…" I said, walking to the door. The girl didn't reply, and no other noise came from the door. "You can come out, we're not gonna hurt you."

"Yeah… coming out is going to be a slight issue." she kept silent for a second again. "I'm stuck!" she said quickly, and a little ashamed.

"You're… stuck?" I shot Dan a quick glance, and he shrugged. I turned back to the door and pressed the open button. There was no response, and I noticed all the lights are off. "I think this door is fried."

"Yep! I was the one who fried it." She answered, still ashamed. "And before you say anything, I had to. That monster you guys killed, at least it sounds like you killed him, was chasing me!"

"So you locked yourself in there?" I asked.

"Of course, what else would I do?" she was really being defensive here.

"No, no, I get it. Smart move, and you're lucky we came along. How do we get you out of here?" I honestly had no idea how to open one of these doors manually.

"Oh, that's easy!" she sparked. "Just open the entry pad and remove the control cards on top, leaving the exposed wire for you reconnect into the powed receiver. Careful with the discharge, I hope you have some gloves around-" she was going at it like there was no tomorrow. I only understood the first half of the conversation.

"Whow, slow down, slow it down. Pretend we don't know what those tech words mean and try again.." Daniel interrupted.

"Sorry, sorry." She took a deep breath and explained it carefully for us. "You see the entry pad, where the buttons are? Open it up, you can use a crowbar or-"

Dan hit the pad with the butt of his rifle, which opened and flew down to the ground. "Or we could just bash it open."

"Sure, you could just do that." She said, disappointed. "Now, pull out all the green rectangles until you see a bunch if wires. Than simply cut the black wire and connect the exposed part into the black power receiver."

"Power what?" I questioned her.

"Just shove it into the black hole!" she shouted back, losing her patience.

"Alright, simple enough." I began pulling things apart until I saw the wire. I pulled out my switch blade and cut one end, careful to not electrocute myself.

"Wait, there's a catch!" she shouted in a hurry.

"There's always a catch." Daniel mumbled. "What is it then?"

"If you disconnect the wire, the door will close again, so you gotta hold it in. But if you hold it for too long, the pad will… explode." She spoke that last word slowly, like a kid confessing to her mom that she just broke the families favorite lamp.

"Ain't that just perfect." I said under my breath. "Let's time this right then. When I say go, you jump out, so get ready."

"Ok, I'm ready!" she shouted with enthusiasm. Her voice quickly shifted from happy to sad to disappointed depending on the subject, like hyperactive child. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person was behind that door.

"On three! One, two, THREE!" With all my speed, I shoved the wire into a hole atop the pad. The door instantly opened, and figure quickly jumped out, landing with a roll across the room.

"Court, let it go!" Daniel shouted, and let go I did. I stumbled backwards, stepping away from the pad.

"Heh, it's fine, it didn't even-"

* **Poof** *

The pad pooped with smoke and small lighting going everywhere. The explosion was to small to hurt anyone, but I'm sure I would have been electrocuted.

"Wohoo! That was fun!" the girl cheered behind me. "Let's do it again!"

I threw her a confused look, showing that I couldn't believe what she was saying. "I'm kidding, next time we'll do it without the dangers of getting smashed by a door or eating 345 Volts of electricity."

A big smile crossed her face from cheek to cheek. The crazy woman who just jumped through a death door and laughed it off was a little shorter than me and looked to be somewhere in her early twenties. She had black skin and long hair all the way down on her chest. Although it wasn't really hair I was looking at. I believe they were called dreadlocks or something, but they fitted her looks pretty well.

As for her clothes, she was using a green shirt under a jeans jumsuit. A pair of goggles rested atop her head, and on her pockets were multiple tools for all kinds of purposes. On her back was a backpack and a Remington Model 870, a powerfull hunting shotgun that uses 12 gauge shells.

"Hi!" she greeted us with glee, closing her eyes and giving us a sweet smile. "I'm Samantha, Samantha Lindgren, but can call me Sam for short, and this is Gabriel. Nice to meet you two."

"Wait, who's Gabriel?" Daniel asked, trying to find someone standing behind her.

"This is Gabriel." She pulled her shotgun from her back and held it diagonally for us to see.

"Oh Lord. First a horse with people's name and now a gun?" the ghoul said, still grumpy.

"He's been my best friend out there in the wasteland, so don't dare disrespect him." She complained, somewhat offended.

"Hey, what's wrong with Nina?" I asked

"And what's wrong with Gabriel?" Samantha followed, hugging her gun. "Wait, who's Nina again?"

"Oh, she's my horse." I answered

"You have a horse?! Cool, can I see her?!" she asked with enthusiasm.

"Uh... sure..." I looked over to Daniel, looking for some help, but he did was shrug and give me a disproving head shake. Seems like neither of us knew what to make of this curious character we just met. "But we have some business to take care of first."

"What kind of business?" Damn, this girl was full of questions.

"Nothing you need to know, now we have wasted enough time. Let's get out of here Court." Dan made his way to the stairs that led upstairs.

"What about Samantha here? We can't just let her on her own, she could run into more Nightkin on the way out." I was genuinely concerned about her. We barely made it against one of those monsters, what chance would someone have alone? "How's your sneaking Sam?"

"Uh, pretty good, I guess." She said without a lot of confidence, but it would have to do. We were not gonna leave her here for the wolves, and besides, her shotgun could come in handy. "Where are we going?"

"Uh…" Guess I should fill her in. "I'll tell you on the way, come on."

"So, you're back huh? And it seems you found some extra company. Hey there young lady." Harland greeted us when we walked into his booby trapped room.

"Hi!" Sam said, again with closed eyes and a cutesy smile. She kept walking further into the room, so I pulled her back and pointed to the suspicious pile of dirt in the middle of the room, and she immediately got the idea.

"So, throw me the bad news. Spent the last minutes getting ready for them." Harland tried to hide his sorrow, but was unsuccessful.

"I'm really sorry Harland, but she gone." I gave him some time to take it all in. He was surprisingly strong about it, silence and a heavy sight being the only visible indications of pain. "We found her on the lower levels like you mentioned, along with… a couple of others. We'll have Jason and his followers give them a proper funeral."

"Thanks. You've done me a great favor pal. I guess it's my turn honor our bargain." He turned his back to us and walked out of the platform into the upper level of the storage room. A few seconds went by when a door in the back of the room that was previously locked opened up. The ghoul walked out and walked in zig-zags until he reached us. "Just take the same path I did to avoid the traps. There's a terminal up there, you should be able to trace the Stealth-Boys with it." Without looking back he walked out into the maze of corridors, saying one last thing before he was out of sight.

"Goodbye, and stay safe."

"You too Harland, safe travels."

"So Sam," I pulled her attention as she typed comands and prompts into the terminal. "what were you doing down in that basement in the first place?"

Without interrupting her work, she replied. "Oh you know, just looking for some sweet forgotten loot. This is a big place full of pre-war tech. It's a treasure trove for scavengers."

"Scavenger? You don't hear that word much anymore." Daniel pointed out. "NCR thought it be more noble to call them prospectors. It gives them more of an excuse to send people into unknown and possibly dangerous places just to find junk."

"I like the title of scavenger, sounds cooler than prospector. Besides, I almost never sell things to the NCR, they don't pay very well." She shot Dan a quick look. "And the things I find are not junk. If you have the know-how, a building like this can make you rich as rich as the Brahmin barons back in California. Look at Harland, he turned this small storage site into a cruel deathtrap. We almost died like, three times just getting up here." She finished with a short laugh.

"Suuuure… anyway, how's that hacking going? You almost through? Don't wanna rush you, but this is taking a little longer than I expected." Dan asked her. He was sitting on a tall metal box, carving on piece of wood with his army knife.

"Almost done. Don't be surprised that one of the most advanced aerospace and rocket manufacturing companies in the planet has some crazy terminal security." Her typing was fast and each time she activated an entry, the terminal would make a short * _beep_ *

"We're lucky to have brought you along. I barely know how to turn these things on, much less hack them." I watched her work in awe, amazed and confused by all the words and letters and numbers and punctuations and… I don't even know what else.

With a warm smike she turned to me for a second. "It's the least I could do for you guys. You've not only rescued me but I'm happy to see you're helping Jason."

Daniel and I shared a look. "Wait, you know Jason?" Dan asked.

"Sure I do." She said like it was an obvious thing. "I've been helping him and that crazy human friend of his build their rockets, and in return they give me food and water, aside from letting me keep whatever they wouldn't use."

"Weird, they never really mentioned another human besides that crazy guy." Dan pointed out.

"I guess they thought I was dead, just like the other ghouls. Good thing I'm not, heh? Bet yah Jason is going to be surprised to see me return with you guys." She said all that so casually it was scary. This girl seemed to have a strangely positive view on things.

"So they really are serious about the rockets and the Great Jorney thing" I asked Sam, sitting down on a chair behind her.

She nodded her head up and down. "Yep, and they were almost done too. Only two things were needed for take-off before the "demons" showed up. Poor guys, they been bullied their entire lives and now this? It's about time for the world to give them some slack, so I'm happy to help." Wow, she genuinely seems to be speaking from the heart. It all seemed to be to good to be true, I've given up on the idea of pure hearted people in this god forsaken wasteland, but there was some conviction to her words.

The terminal made a different beep and the screen rolled up until multiple logs showed up to be selected. "There, I broke through. It's all yours now." Sam jumped from the chair and skiped her way to another seat. I aproached the machine and eyed the log entries. I took me a few minutes but I found three messages from the staff manager and the workers.

The first was about an unexpected shipment of Stealth-Boys that arrived one day, and that they were stored here for a while. The other message talked about workplace harassment and the suggestion that the Stealth-Boys were being used to spy on coworkers. I then switched to the last message and quickly eyed the whole thing.

When I was done, I threw my back against the chair and looked up. "Fuck, Davison ain't gonna like this."

" **LIAR!** " The mutant shouted from across his desk. Despite the distance, I could feel and smell his fowl breath. "The invoice say Stealth-Boys came here! Antler read it out loud to me!"

"But you gotta understand, they were here for a while, but because they were send by accident in the first place, they were sent back to their place of origin." My hands were already resting on That Gun. Daniel had his rifle pointed at the ground but was ready to shoot and Samantha rested on Gabriel as if he were a cane. "Don't believe me, check the terminal on the room that ghoul was."

Davison ignored the last part since he was too busy staring at Antler. "But Antler, invoice say Stealth-Boys are here." He looked up at me and shot a death stare that froze my soul. "And human could be lying, stealing Stealth-Boys for itself!"

My grip tightened around my gun. I was sure he was about to rush me, but instead he threw his head and covered his eyes. " **Oh Antler**! You trust so easy!" he brought his eyes back to me and pointed. "Your luck day human, Antler believe you. Nightkin will follow new note to find Stealth-Boys!" He walked around us and towards the door, stopping and turning around before leaving. "Better be there human, for your sake!"


	17. Chapter 17: Come Fly With Me

Chapter 17: Come Fly With Me

"…let's fly, let's fly away. If you can use, some exotic boooze-" Jason Bright's voice was already majestic enough with it's mysterious booming effect, which was made even more impressive by his incredible Frank Sinatra impression. Its like the man himself is singing to us straight from the heavens. I could stand here all day listening to the Glowing One sing, but he interrupted his show once he took notice of our presence. "Ahh, travelers, you have returned, and you have returned victorious. Chris and I cheered as we watched the Demons leave the building with their leader. The Creator has trully blessed us with your aid." Behind him was the balding scientist that thinks he is a ghoul, so I assume he's Chris.

"It wasn't easy getting them out of there Jason. I was hoping you could just get on with your Great Journey, but Sam here told me there are two things missing before you can take-off." I pointed my thumb behind my shoulder.

Sam stepped forward and gave them a warm hello. "Hey guys."

"Samantha! I am happy to see that you are alive and well. We are sorry that we were not able to help you escape, but I had faith the Creator would have kept you safe." Jason took Sam's hands in his and whispered a short prayer.

Sam showed no discomfort to his gesture, which surprised me a bit. "It's alright Jason, Gabriel was there to keep me safe." She said, caressing her shotgun. "Teaches me not to wander alone in a deep and scary basement. Shall we gather the last things for the Great Journey?"

"We must delay ourselves no longer. Speak to Chris, he will tell you what is missing." He turned to the man in question and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I will lead the flock into the basement below, where the rockets await us. Tell them all they need to know and join me in the observation deck. The Creator be with you all." With that said, Jason left the room, and I saw the rest of the ghouls gather as much as they could before following their leader towards the exit.

With his ghoulish voice, Chris began speaking to us. "Alright smoothskin, you heard Jason, so let's cooperate. For months Samantha and I have been working on those rockets, and we've nearly got them in working order."

I looked behind my back to make sure Jason and the other ghouls were gone before getting closer to Chris. With a low voice, almost a whisper, I confronted him . "Hey Chris, let me ask you. Don't find all this Far Beyond thing a little far fetched?"

He looked down for a second and took a long breath. "Look, I was skeptical at first, me being a man of science, but Jason **saw** the Great Beyond, he saw visions of our victory. He even had visions about me. You might not believe Jason, smoothskin, but I do." It was clear that he took some offence to that, so I decided to let it be. In the end, all I cared about now was getting these ghouls out of here.

"Alright, sorry I asked. Now let's get down to business. What do we need to get those rockets flying?"

"We need two thing: a special radioactive igniting agent and the thrust control modules." He explained it like we were supposed to know what those things were. "They're easy enough to install, we just have to find them." Great, more possibly dangerous tasks. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Daniel stepped forward. "And do you have any idea where we might find these things?"

"More or less. The control modules have probably been scavenged already, but unless there's a rocket scientist around, people wouldn't know it's value if they saw it, so any scrap dealers nearby should have one." Chris explained. He grabbed a blue roll of paper and handed it over to me. "Here's a blueprint of the hardware, should help you find it."

Sam gasped in surprise. "Oh, I know a scrap dealer! There's Old Lady Gibson, north of Novac!"

"Sure, we'll give her a try. What about that igniting agent?" I asked Chris with crossed arms.

"That one is going to trickier. There are some industrial ruins east of here that should have some isolated agent. Just look for any vats of a green, glowing liquid." His last words promped a short memory in my head. Green glowing liquid? I've seen that before.

"Hey Daniel," I said, turning to him."remember those rocket toys you bought from Cliff at Dinky's?"

"You mean-" as he spoke, he grabbed his bag and opened it. A strong green glow coming from inside illuminated the ceiling, and Dan reached in to pull out one of the toys. "-these ones?"

Before I answered, Chris walked over and took the toy from his hand.

"Hey, that's mine! It wasn't cheap you know." Dan protested, then reconsidered. "Actually they were pretty cheap, but they're still mine."

"This is it" Chris exclaimed, without taking his eyes from the toy. "This is the igniting agent. Why is it inside a toy rocket?" He asked, curious and confused.

"That's kind of a long story, but Dan has more if you need them." I explained.

"Oh come on Court, you know why I bought these things, I'm not just giving them away." Daniel complained. Luckly, I knew how to convince him otherwise.

"You can give Chris the igniting agent you already have, or you can spend the rest of the afternoon looking through some abandoned factory for more. And since the place is probably irradiated, you'll be going for it alone." He had no argument against that, so he just stuttered a few curses and gave up, handing all the rocket miniatures over to Chris.

"Thanks, these will be just enough. Now I could use the help of someone to put all of this into the rockets." Chris looked at each of us, waiting for a volunteer. When I realized no one would come forward, I decided to make a play.

"Daniel, I think you should help, since you're -" I wasn't sure how to put this. "-a ghoul too. All that radiation stuff, you know what I mean." Dan didn't look to happy about that plan, but didn't protest. I then turned to the new girl "Sam, I could use your help finding the thrust modules, since I bet you know what they look like."

"That I do!" she said, cheerful as ever. "Oh, do I get to ride on your horse?"

"I'll be using that, but you can take Daniel's, I'm sure he won't mind." Once again, he didn't protest.

"Now that you all have something to do, I suggest you get to it." Chris gathered the toy rockets in a sack and rolled a couple of blueprints before holding them under his arms. He nodded at Dan as he walked out the room. "Come on you, we should get to work." He took one last long look at Sam and me before moving out. "What are you two waiting for? Get moving, we must not delay Journey any longer!"

We found the horses exactly where we left them, tied to a tree behind a cluster of boulders near the canyon entrance. Over our backs were large sacks filled with the stuff Daniel had hidden for pick-up during our visit, plus some extra goodies Sam and I found on our way out. Sam walked ahead of me with the larger and heavier sack, because believe it or not, this girl was buff! Her sleeves were rolled all the way to her shoulder, showing some well developed biceps. She wasn't necessarily jacked like the mutants, I didn't notice her strength until her arms were shown, but it was clear that she could handle some extra weight. Replace the goggles on her head with a bandana and she'd look like the African-American version of the famous "We can do it!" WWII poster.

I didn't realize I was staring until she looked back at me. "What's the matter Court, something cought your eyes?"

"Oh, eh, no it's just that-" embarrassed, I looked around trying to hide my red face. I'm not sure why her physique impressed me, but it did. It not what you're thinking though, she was very pretty indeed, but too young, not my type. Besides, looking for girls (or guys, I'm don't limit myself) was never a priority for me, barely an interest. The dating game might be important for some people, but right now I'm too busy chasing down the guy who tried to kill me.

She laughed at awkward situation I put myself in. "Don't sweat it man, I get that look from guys all the time." She slaped her left bicep with her free hand and smiled. "These bad boys are what you get after a lifetime on the workshop."

"Workshop? Thought you were a scavenger." We had reached the horses and we both began tying the sacks around and behind the saddles.

"I am now. But about a year back I ran a general store and repair station with my pa. He thought me most of what I know, old man was a miracle worker." She wasn't all bad with her hands herself. She was tying those bags a lot faster than I was.

"Was? What happened to him, eh, if you don't mind me asking."

"Hah, my bad, "was" is the wrong word for it. My old man is alive and kicking, I just decided it was high time I had a life of my own, see the world and all that pretty speech. If you ever visit Westside, make sure to tell Johnathan Lindgren at Lindgren Repairs and Goods that Samantha sent ya. He'll be sure to give you a discount."

We spent a few minutes strapping the bags of loot to the horses. After we were done, I had to help Sam get on Cadillac, since she never rode a horse before.

She hoped on to the animal and let out a short but high pitched scream. "Ahh yes, I've always wanted a horse. One day I'll buy one for me, a tall black-fur stalion. Now that's a dream."

"Better start saving the caps then. The black ones are the most expensive." Probably because they are so rare and because they require some serious selective breeding to keep them on the market. "His name is Cadillac by the way. Daniel will deny it but don't listen to him. Cadillac likes the name." The horse neighed in what I took as agreement. "Yeah, I know you do."

I climbed on to Nina and patted her crest. She neighed happily and wiped her tail in the air as she trotted in circles. After checking that everything was in place, I was ready to set off, but had to turn back when I heard a little high-pitched scream followed by a laugh behind me.

"Ahh! Hah-hah! Uhh, Court, how do I make him stop?" I looked at her and watched Cadillac walk in circles, uneasy about his new rider. I galloped over to his side and grabbed his reins, bringing him to a stop.

"Calm down boy, she's a friend. Daniel will be back soon, we're just getting some things for him." I know he probably didn't understand a single word I said, but I like to treat animals like people. Those who say they are stupid and inferior are spilling shit out of their mouths. They're not the ones who nuked each other into near extinction. I raised the reins and extended them to Sam "Here, take these. Using the "mechanical" terms, these are for steering and breaking. To control his speed, just use your legs to tap him on the sides."

"So, like those western holomovies?" she asked.

"Yeah, just like them." Not quite, but it was good enough. "Come on, we've got stuff to trade." Nina began galloping down the road, and Cadillac took a while to follow, but Sam managed to get him to catch up.

We began out trip slowly, to let Samantha get used to riding. It was a little hard at first, she almost lost her balance a couple of time, and she had trouble controlling Cadillac's speed. I noticed she was a little uneasy, probably afraid she would fall, or maybe that the horse would get annoyed of her and throw her out. I had those fears on my first try too.

"Don't worry Sam, the more you ride, the more you get used to it." I reassured her, matching her speed and trotting by her side.

"Like riding a bicycle?" she asked me.

"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "never rode a bicycle.

"Well, I guess I own you a lesson now." She beamed as her body jumped up and down from the trotting. That's going to be a pain in the ass for her latter on.

"Sure, whatever you say. Let's try to pick up some speed, alright?"

"Uh… ok, I'll try." She didn't sound to confident, but it was for the best. Nothing trains your riding skills like being on the back of a sprinting horse.

Sam was finally getting the hang of it when we got to our destination.

Our first stop was once again Dinky the T-Rex. Cliff was willing to buy all the guns and ammo we had picked up, but he had no interest in medical supplies and the "valuable" junk Sam gathered. He drove a hard bargain, but I was able to convince him to take my initial price, so we walked out with a mighty profit. Before we did that, I replaced the ammo I spent during the day, buying one .357 Magnum and 4 5.56×45 NATO rounds. Before we left the motel Sam ordered a large meal from Jeannie's room service (it's not as fancy as it sounds). Seeing how much she ate and how fast she did it showed me how long she was stuck in that closet. Or maybe she had one hell of an appetite, who knows.

After that we made a quick visit to a medical tent on one side of Novac. There, we sold some chems and medical equipment, while Sam traded some of it for a couple of stimpaks.

"We're all done here." I said, getting back on Nina. I approached Cadillac and extended my Pip-Boy arm in front of Sam. "Hey, can you point out where this scrap dealer is on the map?"

Instead of answering, her eyes grew and her jaw dropped. "Whoa, is that a Pip-Boy? Since when do you have a Pip-Boy?"

"Uh, for like, two days now. You didn't see it in my arm before now?" It was not a hard device to miss. It was rather big and bulky, although it wasn't as uncomfortable as it looked. You quickly get used to it and soon it's like it's not even there.

Samantha scratched the back of her neck and smiled shamefully. "Heh, I'm little airheaded. I'm already used to it though." Her expression turned curious again, and she started messing around my device. She spun my arm around to see every side of the thing and played around with the controls and switches. It was uncomfortable being in that position atop the horses, but I let her play around for as long as she wanted since she looked like a child who was having the time of her life.

"Damn, this is some cool tech. Pa had one but he sold it when I was young. Shame I wasn't old enough to take interest, or else I would have begged him to keep it." Once her curiosity had been quenched, she switched back to the map and placed her finger on a spot north of Novac. "Old Lady Gibson lives right here. She owns a big scrap yard filled with good stuff from REPCONN. A lot of if came from me actually, so I know that if someone has those modules, it's her"

It was pretty close, wouldn't take more than a ten minute ride, but there was still no time to waste. "Right, let's be off than. Giddy up girl!" I tapped Nina on both sides and she parted off in a quick galop. Sam followed right behind with Cadillac.

As expected, the trip was short. When we arrived at the scrap yard, we were greeted by and old woman followed by three dogs.

"Hey there!" the old lady welcomed politely. "I'm Old Lady Gibson, and this here is my scrap yard. It may not be the prettiest place, but you won't find some of the things we have anywhere else. We got all kinds of scraps and some general odds and ends. I also happen to be selling some ammo and guns in case you're interested." The old woman had a short white hair and wore ragged grey clothes. Her dogs were as grey as her clothing and sat down behind her when she stopped to talk to us. There was a forth dog sleeping next to a pile of tires at the entrance of the scrap yard, and a fifth one on top of the building I assumed was the woman's home.

"Hello there, the name's Court. We're looking for an specific piece of hardware that might have been found in the REPCONN test site." Sam and jumped of our horses and tied them up on a short pole by the road.

"Lay it on me yougin', I might know what you're looking for by name." she turned around and walked to the building, sitting on a chair under the shades.

Sam walked up to her and pulled a blue piece of paper from her backpack. "Maybe you have one of these, a REPCONN thrust control module. This blueprint might help you indetify it."

Old Lady Gibson eyed the sheet up and down for a good minute, until her eyebrows went up and she nodded her head. "Yeah, I have one of these. Some smarty pants sold it me years ago, bragging about advanced it was. Bah, couldn't care less about how fancy it was, no one wanted to buy it. At least not 'till now."

Great, the thing was in low demand, so it shouldn't cost us much. "Then how much do you want for it?" I asked her.

"Huh. Let me think." Old Lady Gibson turned to her one of her dogs and petted him. It took her a long time to settle on a price, so when she decided Sam and I were sitting down on an abandoned car, playing with some pebbles. "Oh, I know, I'll make it five hundred caps."

That caught me of guard so bad, my hand went numb as I threw a little rock and ended up hitting one of the dogs in the head. She's kidding right? All that for an old piece of junk? I mean, it might be important to the ghouls but other than that it's pretty much useless. So why is she selling it a such a high price? "Say Miss Gibson, maybe we could work out a better deal here."

"I'm sorry young man, but my price is final." She said defiantly. This woman had some bark, but I've dealt with all kinds of dealers, every single one of them had a weakness, I just had to find it.

Now the secret to bartering was simple, yet difficult. What you have to do is find something that placed the buyer/seller on the tip of your hands. You can do three different way: give them a good reason to lower their price, get the people you're bargaining with to like you, or find a way to blackmail them.

"Oh come on Miss Gibson, I'm sure a young lady such as yourself will be kind on a poor charmer like me." There it is, let's hope I played my cards right.

"Oh you sly charmer, you're just saying that to get a discount." Damn it, so close. "But I appreciate the flattery, reminds me of my young days, when boys would line up just to ask me on a date." She went on, dreamy and lost in her old days. "I probably won't find anyone else to sell that thing in my lifetime, so I'll tone the price down to one hundred caps, how about that sweetheart?" And jackpot! Seems like I was right on the money, nothing like making old people feel young again.

"That's perfect!" I said, happy with my small victory. "While I count the caps Sam can go with you and grab the module."

After separating the money, the two returned from the scrap yard. On her left hand, Samantha carried a metal box with a leaver and multiple buttons on one side. "Is that it?" I asked, walking over to them with a bad of caps.

"Yep, it looks just like the one in the blueprint. It's a little rusty on the sides, but so are the rockets. Should be fine." Sam replied.

"I hope it works, this day as been long enough, I should have left Novac hours ago." I thought out loud, not realizing both woman heard me.

"Right…" Sam muttered at a low tone. "You never mentioned what you were doing over at REPCONN. I first assumed you were scavers like me, but now I'm not sure."

"Eh, look, it's kind of a long story." I simply answered, trying to avoid that conversation. Thankfully, Sam seemed to drop her curiosity, at least for now. I handed Old Lady Gibson her money and thanked her.

"Nice doing business with ya'll. Have a nice day, and happy trails!" She waved us goodbye and walked into her house, with three of the dogs following her inside.

Sam and I hopped on our horses and began making our way back to the test site. The sun was high up in the sky, and I didn't need to consult the Pip-Boy to know it was little past mid-day. It was hard to believe I had spent most of my morning inside that madhouse of a building. And "mad" was the theme of the day wasn't it? Religious ghouls, blue super-mutants that can go invisible, and now I've just spent my own caps on parts for a space rockets. I think I can safely say I'll never face a stranger morning.

Sam and I made spent our trip in silence. I took a glance at her and noticed she was lost in her own thoughts. This girl is quite a character isn't she? We've barely met and she's already acting all nice and trusting. And I wasn't all convinced about her reason to be in REPCONN and intentions helping Jason. Well, I guess it doesn't matter, for as long as she helps us send those ghouls into space so I can get my information off Manny and get on with my life.

We spent the rest of the short journey in silence, and as we rode into the entrance of the canyon, Samantha called out to me. "Hey Court?"

"Hnm?" I hummed curiously and looked at her. "Hey Sam, what do you need?"

"Well, I know it's none of my business, but I was curious about what brought you here to REPCONN test site in the first place. Like I said before, you don't look like a scavenger and much less like a ghoulish apostle."

I wrestled in my mind whether I should or should not tell her my story. I wasn't sure why I was being so reserved about it, but it felt like something I shouldn't go around sharing. "Like I said, it's long story."

"We still have some minutes before we arrive. Should be enough time for you sum it all up, right?" she asked, but I didn't answer. I hoped silence would give her the message, but she was persistent. "Does it… does it have anything to do with that scar on your forehead?" she almost swallowed those words.

My body suddenly became stiff, like I had been electrocuted. I brought my hand up to the scar on the front of my forehead and pressed on it. Flashes of Doc Mitchell's home and of that dream I had back in Goodsprings struck my brain and left me a little dizzy. When I was pulled back to reality, I realized Sam was the first person since Goodsprings to mention my scar. I tried my best to hide it behind my hair, but of course that would've failed from time to time. Even then, no one asked about it or even pointed it out, not even Daniel. I couldn't tell if they were simply being polite, or if no one actually took interest, but because the scar went ignored for the last days, I almost forgot I had it.

I sighed and turned to Sam, staring her in the eyes. "First, let's get Jason and his flock into those rockets, then I'll tell you my story, deal?"

"Deal!"

"This is it Jason! The Great Jorney can now begin!" Chris spoke with his gravelly voice over the intercom.

Chris, Samantha, Daniel and I were inside a viewing room, located on the lowest level of the facility. The place could be reached by following a tunnel that began on the basement, where the Nightkin were before we got them out. The viewing room had a door on one side and a large glass window on the other, plus a hatch that led down into the platform below. The window overlooked the large circular pad where three white and red rockets pointed towards a circular ceiling. All around them were barrels filled with radioactive isotope, meaning that no one but a ghoul could survive more than a minute in there. Jason and his flock of ghouls, both normal and feral ones, gathered around the rockets. They all wore astronaut clothes, complete with a large and circular glass helmet.

"The rockets are fueled and the Thrust Control Modules have been installed. We are ready to go on your word!" A large smile shined acroos Chris's face. He had excitement in his voice and I could see he could barely contain himself. Too bad all that happiness was about to crash and burn.

"Thank you Chris." Jason's voice echoed off the intercom next to the window. Jason strolled up the ramp of the middle rocket and turned to his flock, raising both arms to the roof.

"My friends, my allies… my brothers. Gather around as we prepare to take the final steps into The Great Journey." He moved his eyes from the flock to the viewing window, where we watched them from above. "First, I wish to thank the Creator, for watching over us and sending four emissaries who made all this possible. They have shown us that the human race still has it's redeeming qualities, and that one must not judge another for what he is, but for what he does."

"Four?" Chris asked himself with a whisper. He looked doubtful for a second, but assumed his gleaming expression again once Jason resumed his speech.

"Samantha, you were a great ally to us, and a even better friend. We cannot imagine how to repay you for all you've done, and hope you can forgive us for not coming for your aid when the mutants attack. But I believe the Creator will reward as your days go by."

Sam said nothing, and just stared down at the glowing one with a huge and warm smile.

"Court, Daniel, I must admit that your aid was the most unexpected thing we have received through our quest. But we are more than glad to have received it in the end. I know that you do not believe in what we are doing here, and yet you've rid us of the demons and brought what we needed in order to fix these rockets. And for that, we thank you. We thank and pray for. May you have luck in your own personal quest, and may the Creator be at your side through it all."

I… was not expecting that. I would be lying if I didn't say I was moved. No one has ever been this thankful to me. Besides, I didn't even do this for them, I did it for myself. Helping The Great Journey was just the peaceful way of getting rid of the ghouls. If it wasn't for that, who knows what I would have done. I tell myself I would have found another way… but…

Daniel on the other hand, looked a little uncomfortable at what he just heard. Seems like he isn't used to praise either.

"And Chris…" Jason looked down at the floor, afraid to lock eyes with the man in question. Everyone but Chris himself knew what was coming. Jason finally mustered the courage and looked back up. "Chris, we could not have asked for a better friend, a better brother than you. Words cannot describe our gratitude, and that is why it pains me to do what have to do. We will pray for you everyday my friend, we will pray that you can find your happiness once again, here, on this Earth."

As the speech went on, Chris's expression turned darker. His smile faded as he began to see the message. "No… No…. Don't you dare!" Chris stumbled backwards and turned towards the hatch. He made a run for it, but was grabbed by Daniel.

"Whoa, calm down pal, you knew this was coming." Dan said as he locked his arms around Chris's chest.

The mad man kicked and punched, trying to get himself free. "Let me go! I need to get to rockets, I need to go with them."

Samantha came to help Dan and took a hold of his arms. "Chris, the lauch pad is drowned in radiation, you're gonna dia in seconds down there, and even if you make it to the rockets, you won't survive the Far Beyond. Jason saw it in his visions!"

"NO, THE RADIATION WONT KILL ME, I AM A GHOUL!" With a swift and powerful swing of his body, he broke himself free, hitting Daniel in the face and kicking Sam into the nearby wall. "I'm a ghoul, I can't die from radiation. I know it, I survived years down in that nuclear reactor, I even lost my hair, and listen to my voice! I know I'm a ghoul!" He reached the hatch and tried to pull it open, but failed, for it was locked tight. Seems like Jason knew Chris would have tried this. Too bad he wasn't up here to help calm the guy down, pretty shitty of him to just drop a bomb like this and leave us to deal with the fallout.

"Don't be an idiot Chris, you lost your hair because you got old!" I shouted at him. "And it's just a coincidence you sound like you're choking on sand. Just look at yourself in a mirror, or in the reflection of that window. You keep fooling yourself because you want to fit in and I understand that, but you can't die because of your own dumb ideas."

He kept pulling and banging on the hatch for a minute before giving up with a heavy breath. He looked at me with sad and wet eyes, on the verge of tears. He slowly walked over to the widow, looking at both Jason and his own reflection.

"I'm so sorry Chris." Jason lamented. "But what your human friends and I say is the truth. You belong here, on Earth. But know we will never forget you Chris. You are the Saint of The Great Journey, our hero and our savior. We will forever pray in your name."

A minute that felt like an eternity went by, with Chris looking down at the ghouls he called family getting inside their rockets and preparing to take off. "God… I was never a ghoul… they were just using me all along."

"That is not true Chris." Samantha said, patting him on the shoulder. "They needed your help and you came to aid them. The only reason you can't go with them is because you would die."

"And dying would be worse than this?" he asked, angry with himself, angry with Jason, and angry with the world. "Used up and thrown away like garabage?"

"You're not garbage damn it. You did what almost no other human would do. You heard them, you're their hero, their Saint." Daniel replied with determination.

"Oh, so I've redeemed the human race, is that it? What a crock! The human race can't stand me!" Tired, he threw himself against the wall and slid along it until he was sitting down. He brought his closed hands to his face and covered his eyes. He didn't cry, instead he just sat there, holding his emotions in.

God, there was no convincing this guy is there? Why am I still here? I should just turn my back and walk out of this place, let Chris figure this out on his own. My mission here is done, the rockets are ready to go and hopefully Novac will never have to deal with a feral ever again. Time to get the information I was promissed and get on with my revenge.

But would that be the right thing to do? I could see the anger in that man's eyes. But there was more than just anger. There was solitude. He was now alone, abandoned by those he once called friends, even family. In a way, I know what that feels like. And seeing the situation he is in, there's only one thing in his mind right now: death.

"That is not true. The human race is bitch yes, but there are good people out there, so give humanity another chance will ya? Why don't you head to Novac. It's small but sweet little town. You can make a life there, fixing and making things, putting your skills to work." I proposed all that with a calm tone, trying to inspire hope. Like bartering with merchants, convincing people to make hard decisions is another trick you learn over the years if you pay attention.

He uncovered his face and looked at me. "Life amongst humans again?" he looked around the room, stopping to stare at each of the three humans in the room. Hopefully, we are good enough examples to convince him. "I guess… I guess it's the only choice I've got." As he looked up, his expression turned and he laughed to himself "Heh-heh-heh, maybe this time things will be different. I've never been a Saint before."

"And how cool is that huh?" I remarked. "The world may not know what you did here, but in our eyes and the eyes of those ghouls, you are a miracle worker Chris. So don't give up, keep making miracles out there." I extended my arm to him and he grabbed it. After helping him up, I rested my hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's send those guys to their new home and get out of here."

Chris shook his head. "You go ahead and do that. I think I've seen enough ghouls for a life time. Just go up to the view tower and set the launch sequence. It's not difficult. See you in Novac." And so he walked out of the room and disappeared into the tunnels. I wasn't sure if we'd ever see him again, but I had feeling he was actually looking forward to trying again.

It's not often that people get the chance to begin anew.

"That's where they'll launch from." Samantha pointed to the domed building across the canyon. That's where the tunnels in the basement led us earlier, and now we are back into the main REPCONN facility, on top a view tower and looking out the window. Behind us was large console with too many buttons to count, but luckly, Sam knew what to do.

"The coordinates on one of the rockets is a bit of. Let me quickly adjust them and I'll initiate the launch sequence." She sat in front of the console and began to press buttons and turn dials. "Meanwhile, Court can keep his promise and tell me what brought you two here in the first place"

"That's a good point Court. You keep saying this is about some bussiness you have with a guy, but this an awful lot of effort for a courier to go through." Daniel pointed out. I guess there was no escaping now.

"You're a courier?" Sam asked, looking back and forward between me and the console. "Like, the deliver stuff around kind of courier?"

I nodded slowly and sighed. "Well, at least I think I still am. Like I said, it's a bit of story, but I guess it's time I told someone." I brought my hand to my forehead and raised my hair.

"Woah, nasty scar." Dan said with a serious face.

I raised him an eyebrow "You're gonna tell me you haven't seen it before?" I honestly didn't believe that.

"Well… yeah I did, I just, dunno I guessed it would be rude ask or something." He didn't sound too convinced, so I raised my eyebrow higher. "Ok, I also didn't really care all that much. Come on, everyone has scars, just look at me, I'm a walking bruise."

I shook my head and laughed. "Well, this ain't the only one I got." I then turned my head and showed them the scar above my temple. Sam got a shocked expression while Dan weirdly nodded in agreement.

"Oh my god-" Sam said softly

"You survived two headshots? You must be one though son of bitch." Dan said jokingly.

"I'm still not sure how I survived that, but I'm out here trying to find the son of a bitch who this this to me. I don't where he is, but Manny back in Novac knows something. He will tell me once I rid this place of ghouls, and as you might imagine, such task was much harder to pull off than I could have imagined. So how about we get on with that launch?"

Sam flinched and turned back to the console. "Uh sure, yeah, I got it. They are ready to go now, starting the launch sequence." Sam opened a transparent cover revealing a big red button, but before pressing it, she gave me and Dan a worried look. "I hope this works."

"Me too, everyone worked hard for this, whether they wanted to or not." Daniel said, looking at the domed building.

When Sam brought her fist down on the button, red lights on the walls started spinning, and low but growing song began playing on two speakers above. I recognized the song, it was called _"Ride of the Valkaryes"_ , quite a perfect fit for the moment we were in.

The ground shook a little as the domed building opened up, revealing the three rockets filled with faithful ghouls. We couldn't see them from this distance, but I was sure they were all smiling, eager to arrive at their promised land.

Once the dome was fully open, Samantha held on to a leaver and slowly pushed it forward. "Beginning countdown fase." The rockets had now activate their thrusters, which spewed a growing fire from their bottoms.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six-" Sam pushed the leaver further in synch with the countdown.

"Here it comes" Daniel whispered to himself.

"-five, four, three, two , **one**..." The leaver had gone as far as it could, and the rockets were slowly rising from the floor and out of their supports pads. "We have lift off!"

The space ships blasted from the ground, heading up diagonally into the sky. In a matter of seconds they whizzed above the view tower and out of sight. The three of us gripped the window trying to see where they went, but it was impossible to do so. They were going very fast, so by the time we left the building they'd already be distant dots in the sky. Or a pile of crashed metal and guts somewhere in the wasteland, but I drove that thought away. From the little we saw, everything seemed to have gone as planned. Despite all the trouble those ghouls put me through, I was happy for them. I guess they do deserve a place they can be themselves, without hate and prejudice against their looks.

I looked at the smoke trails left by the rockets and gave them a short smile and a wave. "Have a safe flight, and happy trails."


	18. Chapter 18: Boulder Cold Murder

Chapter 18: Boulder Cold Murder

Daniel and I were outside of the REPCONN facility, standing beside the horses as we waited for Samantha, who was gathering some stuff she left with the ghoulz on the top floor of the building. Dan was checking the share of caps we left on Cadillac after our trade run, while I was playing with Nina. She was quite the clever girl, I must say. Matter of fact, I had been meaning to try something with her, and now was the time to put that to the test.

I walked across the front yard and placed two fingers in my mouth, letting out a loud, rhythmic whistle which echoed off the canyon, catching the attention of everyone, including the horses.

"Court, what are you doing?" Daniel complained. "You planning on getting us killed today?"

"Chill out, you know there's no one here but us. Besides, I think you're gonna like this." On cue, Nina trotted across the yard. Once she had reached me, she pushed her head against my chest and neighed. "Don't worry girl, I know exactly what you want."

Behind the saddle was my duffle bag. I walked over to it and pulled a blue and white box with red and blue letters.

"Sugar Bombs?" Dan asked curiously.

"Yep, I kindly took a box from the motel's breakfast this morning. Turns out Nina loves this stuff." I poured a handful of the sweet cereal in my hand and brought it to the her mouth. In less then a second, it was all gone.

"One of these days, she's gonna stab you in the back and take all of your cereal with her." Daniel joked as he grabbed a sheet of white, clean, cloth and began wiping his battle rifle.

"Nah, she loves me to much for that." I hugged her by the neck and scratched it's side. "Don't you girl?" She let out a short neigh and a quick nod. "See? That looked like a yes."

We both laughed for a minute, enjoying our rest after this long and tiring day. It wasn't over yet though. It was only 3:48 P.M. and there was still time to find out where Benny and his Khans went. It they were close, we could use the rest of sunlight to get there.

"So…" Dan let out of the blue. "That girl is quite a thing, huh?"

I was a little taken back by his question. "Samantha? What do you mean?"

"It's just that…" he froze for a second, unsure of what to say. "I don't know, there's just something about her, I'm not sure how to put it."

I'm not sure what he's thinking, but there really is something unusual about Sam. I don't know if it's her childish attitude or her staggering optimism.

"Hello boys, I'm back!" Speaking of the devil (no offense intended). Walking out of the front door with both her arms in the air and her backpack even fuller, was Samantha. "What did I miss?"

"Court here is horse whisperer now. Not that it's a big deal. Heard someone could do the same but with giant ants." Daniel said, putting his gun behind his back and storing the cloth away.

"Oh, that's cool." Sam replied, not sure of what Dan meant. "So… I guess this goodbye, huh?"

"Well, that depends." I commented. "Dan and I are unsure of where to go now, but we might just find out after paying Manny a visit."

"What about you?" Daniel asked. "What's your plan?"

"Uhh…" She muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm not sure either. My life as a scavenger has mostly relied on going from place to place. I guess I could hang around here, the loot in this REPCONN facility is far from over, but…" she took a long look at the building behind her, before taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh. "I think I've had enough of this place. I'll miss the company of those ghouls. We had our fun while it lasted."

If she did spend some of her days here with them, it's easy to imagine she made some friendships here and there. It's not easy, saying goodbye that is, but she seemed to be dealing with it well enough.

"Let me tell you what." I offered. "Come with Dan and I down to Novac, and you can make up your mind on the way. That way, we can save our goodbyes for later."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." She sounded a little disappointed, or perhaps, a little melancholic.

I hopped on Nina and brought her to Samantha's side. Extending my hand, I offered her some help. "Come on, this time, you can leave the riding to me."

She took on a faint smile and accepted the hand, climbing up Nina and sitting behind me, finding her balance by holding onto the saddle. "Alright then, you lead the way, cowboy."

"Everybody ready to go?" I looked at each of my partners and watched them nod. With a tap on Nina's sides, she began strolling out of the canyon, and Cadillac followed right behind. The walk quickly became a run, and we'd soon be back in Novac.

"Unbelievable!" That was all Manny could muster to say when I walked into Dinky's mouth telling him I cleared the test site of the ghouls.

"Well, you better believe it, it wasn't easy." I crossed my arms and raised my shoulders.

He scoffed and let out a single laugh. "Heh, yeah, I'm sure it wasn't, but I had a good feeling about you. You look like you been through a lot."

He probably had no idea how right he was. "Thanks, I guess." He trusted me to get a job done, and I did. I was somewhat proud of myself, actually. "But now it's time to make due Manny. I'm eager to get back on the road."

"Ok, I'll tell you everything I know, like I promissed." He quickly said, with cautious stand. I may have sounded a little more impatient that I was, or perhaps, I just wasn't as impatient as I should be. "The guy you're looking for, Benny, was traveling with some members from my old gang, as I mentioned before." He turned his back to me and pointed northeast, towards somewhere off to the right of Highway 93. "They were going to Boulder City, down that way."

I remember seeing that city on my map before. Daniel mentioned something about it being a pile of rubble. "Any idea on what they were going to do once they got there?"

He shook his head in denial. "No idea." He then tilted his head and looked up, remembering something. "I do know Benny hadn't paid up for the escort job yet, so maybe that's where they were supposed to get squared."

That's nothing more than a hunch, but it's something. At least I had another place to go now. "That all you got?"

"Yep, sorry I couldn't be of more use." He shrugged and sat on his chair. "But let me tell you something. I mentioned this before, but this Benny character, I don't trust him. He smells like trouble and should be carefull around him."

"I appreciate the warning, but I think I have a good idea of who I'm dealing with." With that I turned around and opened the door to the stairs leading down. "Thanks for the info Manny."

"You're welcome and thanks again for dealing with the ghouls. Happy trails!"

After I left Dinky the T-Rex, I joined my two companions by the gas station across from the motel. Daniel rested against a light post and flicked a bottle cap up in the air like a coin. Meanwhile, Samantha was caressing Nina. "I've picked up the trail again. Manny says they went to Boulder City."

"Really?" Dan questioned. "What would anyone want to do in a place like that?"

"I don't know, and honestly, I don't care." I simply answered. "All I know is that it's the best and only lead I've got, and I'm plan on following it."

"Hell, it's a short detour, but it's still on the way to Vegas. You might was well count me in." Daniel explained.

Sam removed her attention from Nina and joined the conversation. "So, I've been thinking about my next move, and I've decided to pay my dad a visit, back in Westside. I could go at it alone, but I've been wondering if you two would have me go along with you."

"Did you hear what we just said? We'll be stopping at Boulder City first." I warned her.

"Yep, I heard you two alright, and I don't mind a little pit stop."

I took a worried look at Dan before turning back to her. "Sam, this isn't going to be a "little pit stop". I've told you what happened to, you know what I plan on doing."

"Of course I know, pfft!" She scoffed, like she was offended that I questioned her intelligence. "But you know what, I think you need all the help you can get, more specifically, you need Gabriel and I. Remember when we found that locked terminal down in Harland's basement? How would have known where the Stealth-Boys were without me?"

"Whoa, calm down girl." She was a feisty one isn't she? "I'm not refusing your help, but you need to get that this won't be a walk in the park. Benny, the guy I'm after, shot me in the head, twice, for a little casino chip. You sure you wanna do this?"

"Yep." She simply replied.

"It might be long detour from your plans."

"Ok."

"And it's going to be dangerous."

"Alright."

"You could die."

"Aham."

"Painfully."

"You're describing a regular day out in the wastes, if you wanna get me scared, you're gonna have to do worse." She said, still maintaining that warm smile of hers

"Okey then, other than warning you that we share our profits, food and water, I've got nothin' else to say." I extended my hand to her. "Welcome to the team Samantha. But remember, it's your funeral."

"Hey," she began, while shaking my hand. "If you managed to escape yours, I might just do the same."

"I still can't thank you guys enough for taking your time to help me." I told my two companions as we took a turn into the short road leading to Boulder City, with the sun beginning it's setting. "You two sure you wanna do this?"

"Of course. I just wouldn't forgive myself if I missed this revenge story. It feels like we're some holomovie I watched as a kid. Pretty nostalgic." Dan answered as he rode beside me. "On a plus side, I walk out with one third of whatever we get from Benny and his friends."

I spent the short ride here telling them my full story, from the delivery contract for the Platinum Chip, to me getting shot in the head. I also told them of Goodsprings and the shootout to how I met Daniel, catching Samantha up on the things we did before we met her. She reacted strongly about the situation in Nipton, as you can expect anyone to; but woman take a special offense to the Legion, and with reason. They're more than just slavers, they are also very, and I mean **very** misogynistic. Woman are nothing more than slaves, a mean of sex and reproduction. Cooking, healing, fucking, serving and dying are their only function in Legion society, which just adds to the list of things that makes them the worst kind of barbaric assholes out there.

"Seeing how much you get yourself in trouble, you'll need the help." Sam said behind me. "Me and Gabriel have got your back."

Well now, seems like I've built myself a little traveling party. As much as I was glad for the company, I didn't think it was fair to bring them into this. Benny is my problem, he doesn't need to be anyone else's.

"Here we are, Boulder City." Dan pointed out as we rode into the town's entrance, which led to the corner of two perpendicular roads. There were three notable things about the town that I could now see: The Big Horn Saloon, a two-story building on the street to the right; a memorial stone between the two streets with a NCF flag behind it; and last but not least, the large field of rubble in the center of town.

"Whoa, what happened here?" I asked, staring at all the destruction with a light chin.

"You're looking at the epilogue of the Battle of the Hoover Damn. It ended up with a clever trick from the New California Republic when they lured the Legion troops into the center of town and then blew whole place to smithereens, bringing a bunch of buildings on top of the red bastards." Daniel explained as we stoped our horses in front of the memorial.

The Battle of Hoover Damn was probably the most told story across the west, coming in two very different versions: one that tells a tale of valor and bravery, where the righteous man and woman of the NCR came to take the most prominent resource of water and energy in all of the wasteland from the hands of the monster that is the Legion. The other version talks about how a greedy nation wasted hundreds of lives on a fight no one asked for, and is now wasting even more just to keep a large territory it can barely hold, while that same Legion monster threatens to attack at any moment.

The memorial was a tall piece of rock with a flat surface on the vertical face, where dozens of names had been carefully carved onto the stone.

"Victory didn't come without a price though." A man said when he approached the memorial. He was a NCR soldier, in their regular sand-coloured and slightly greenish uniform and body armor. He held his helmet in both of his hands, hanging it down to his waist. He looked sad and melancholic, and I don't think I'd be wrong to assume he was in grief. Or better yet, he was mourning.

"Private… Kowalski?" Sam asked, and at first I thought she knew who he was, but quickly noticed she was just reading the nametag on his armor.

"Yeah, but don't mind me, I'm just stopping by to pay my respects." He then walked in front of the memorial and closed his eyes, reciting a low prayer.

I began reading the names on the list, and somewhat bellow the middle I spotted a Donal Kowalski. I looked at the soldier when he finished his prayer, trying to understand what he was going through. "You lost family here…" I simply said, because I wasn't sure what to say.

"My older brother… he lost his life playing hero. Not a strange thing for him to do, he was always getting in fights when he thought it was the right thing to do. They told me he stayed behind so the wounded could be evacuated, but that fool went ahead and got himself killed." He wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head. "I still don't know why coming here makes me this emotional. I know it's how he would have liked to go, like a hero." He went silent for a minute, and we watched him battle himself not to cry. The sunset poured a its last bits of light onto his brother's name before leaving the memorial dark like the rest of the town. I was about to leave him to his mourning when he looked up again. "Heh, sleep tight you bastard." He fist-bumbed his brother's name, and this time, with a smile.

Sam and I were unsure what to say. I was never one to deal well with death, despite having it surround me for as long as I can remember.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I understand exactly what you are going through." Daniel told the Private, who turned to Dan and nodded. I wasn't sure what Dan meant, but I guess if has something to do with the Great War. He must have had a whole family that he lost because of it. If someone knows the pain of losing loved ones, he does, and the soldier must have recognized that too.

"It's not easy you know." He resumed talking. "Knowing that the bastards who killed my brother are still out there."

"The Legion doesn't make life easy for anyone." Dan added. I'm sure he was thinking about the same thing I was. Nipton. "All we can do is fight back."

"Heh, I wish that were the case for me." Kowalski lamented. "Now that my brother is gone, I'm the last in the family line. I'm going to California, me and my old folks should catch up. He probably needs some help with the ranch." His smile grew a little bigger. "Heh, I sure miss home."

Home… now there's something I haven't had in a long time.

"Should probably find a room in the saloon before it fills up." Kowalski let out before turning his back to us and heading towards the town exit. "You three have good night, and happy trails!"

"Happy trails!" we all replied in unison.

If you wanna find someone in town, the first place you head to is a Saloon, but we didn't even have to ask anyone about the Khans, because they were already the talk of the day.

"So, how's the situation with the Khans going?" a man asked to another.

"Nothings changed, they're still holed up in the town center, and the NCR still won't do anything about it." The man replied.

We didn't get anything else from them, so we just left the Big Horn and made our way to the town center. There was just one way around the rubble and it was blocked off by a NCR blockade, complete with sandbags, a makeshift guard tower and four soldiers standing guard while a commanding officer discussed with another in the back. And discuss is a light word for it. They were almost at each other's throats.

"I will tell you once more Lieutenant, we are not going to move in until further orders." The officer with ginger hair and stuffy beard told the one with black combed hair and a clean face.

"Don't come to me with your authoritarian crap, we're the same rank Monroe, have the balls to call me by my name." He responded angrily. Whatever they were discussing, the ginger looked a lot more calm about it than the other guy.

"If that's what you want Williams, I'll do it, but our orders are still to remain put. They have taken hostages for Christ sake." Monroe said, wiping his face with his hand.

"I know that, and we can save them, just let me move a team through the back buildings, it's already gone dark, we can use that to cover us." Williams tried to argue.

"Oh so you're suddenly a Ranger now? Come on Williams, be reasonable. I know your story with the Khans, but this ridicul-" before he could finish, Williams poked Monroe on the chest, pushing him back a little.

"Don't you think you know what I've been through. These animals have got to pay, and they do not deserve our simpathy!" Williams looked like he was about to punch the other man, but Monroe threw his arms in surrender and backed off.

"We still have our orders damn it! Disobey them and you'll be court martialed. Do you really want that?" Monroe said calmly, trying to negotiate. I saw the soldiers taking watch look at each other uncomfortably. This sure must be one hell of a situation to place two officers against each other.

Williams was unable to formulate any argument, so he just buffed angrily and turned around, walking heavily into a makeshift door that separated the town center and the outside.

"Jesus, what is happening ?" Samantha asked us, but I just shook my head

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure it has something to do with the Khans we're looking for." Tying our horses down, we walked to the blockade, and as expected, we were stopped by the two soldiers on the front.

"This is a restricted area, please leave the perimeter or we'll use lethal force." One of them warned us, while the other had his palm up, signifying us to stop.

"Excuse me soldier, but we need to talk to your commander." I told the man, and I don't know what I hoped to achieve, but I maybe the officer outside would see the commotion and take curiosity.

"No can do sir, orders are to not let anyone in." He simply replied. Jesus, could these guys do anything if it wasn't an order?

Dan stepped next to me and whispered in my ear. "Here, let me try something." He then faced the soldiers and spoke loudly, as if to attract attention. "Settle down Private, we are an unregistered NCR civilian aid unit, sent over to help with the situation."

He tilted his head in confusion and looked at his friend for , who just shrugged. "Civilian… aid unit? Never heard of such thing."

"Good, we're supposed to keep a low profile. On the other hand, you must have heard of what happened over at Nipton." Both soldiers went stiff, their expression turned cold as they once more looked at each other. From the corner of my eye I saw the officer turn to us. Seems like Dan got his attention.

"That's right, we were the ones sent to scout the town once it went silent. Trust me when I say, what happened here in Boulder City is nothing compared to the carnage we witnessed." I said loudly enough for Monroe to hear.

"Uh- I'm sorry to hear that, bu-but you still don't have any clearance to enter sir." They wouldn't let us in, not until their commander tolder told them so, but it didn't matter, because Daniel's plan had already worked.

"Excuse me citizens, but what do you think you're doing, trying to scare my man to death?" Monroe said as he walked over to us, chin up and hands behind his back.

"We're just telling them our story Lieutenant." Daniel replied.

"Hnm, is that so?" the Lieutenant questioned, analyzing each of us. After a few seconds of thinking, he motioned for us to enter. "Let them pass, I want to have a word with these three."

"Yes sir!" the two soldiers lowered their weapons and stepped way, letting us pass. We followed Monroe to a table next to the door, which had an ashtray with two cigarettes, a bottle of vodka with two cups and ham radio.

"Now, you will tell me your true story, and don't try to convince me you're "civilian aid unit" because that is not a real thing." The officer crossed his arms and lifted his chin even higher, an unnecessary move, seeing that he was higher than any of us. The guy was like a big, ginger man bear.

"Right, it really doesn't, but the Nipton thing is true." I told him with my most sincere voice. "Ranger Ghost hired us to check the town for her and well… what we saw wasn't pretty."

Monroe nodded to himself and walked to table. He took the vodka and poured himself a small cup. "The news spread like wild fire when the report came in. In a few hours every NCR personnel had heard of what happened in Nipton. Of course, some people twisted the story for shock value, but as someone with direct communication to high command, I heard the original tale." He took a seat on top of pile of sandbags and sipped his drink. "It did mention a ghoul and a cowboy, but nothing of the lady here."

"I'm a new addition to team, so no surprise there." Sam explained to the man.

"I see." He finished his drink, stood up and placed the cup back on the table. "Well, you did the NCR a great service, and Ghost spoke well about you two. She doesn't do that often, so I'm willing to hear you out. Why are you here?" Wow, Ghost was right when she said her good word was of value. Seems like we have some NCR reputation.

"I heard there's a group of Great Khans in there." I responded, pointing to the door. "I believe they have something important that belongs to me."

"Any stolen items will be returned once we deal with them, so you just have to sit tight." He replied, saying that line like he rehearsed it.

Right, as if things would be that easy. "For how long has this standoff been going now?"

Monroe took his time to answer, because he was clearly ashamed of the answer. "Thirty seven hours."

I tried not looking too surprised, so I wouldn't offend the guy, but you mean to tell me they've been sitting here, watching those Khans for all that time? I really didn't like the way this was going, and I meant to break this impasse. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Monroe shook his head quickly looked down. "I'm afraid not. We'd have taken them out already but Private Ackerman and Private Gilbert are being held hostage in one of the buildings. Lieutenant Williams wants to rescue them, but… I doubt he'd be successful." He showed some discomfort when mentioning Williams.

"I saw you two fighting earlier. What was all that about?" Samantha asked him. That question probably wouldn't add much, but I couldn't deny that I was curious too.

"Williams has a personal history with the Khans. As most know, they've been raiders and chem dealers for a long time, and if you're unfortunate enough to become one of their targets… well… to sum it all up, he lost family to the Khans. "He let out a tired breath, sitting down once again and gripping his knees. "It was a violent takeover on William's village. I feel bad for the guy, but his past is fucking with his judgement. I could ask for him to be removed from this operation, but half the man here are under his command and they respect the guy. So as you can see, we're at an impasse, with the Khans, and with each other."

Well, that's shitty situation, I wasn't sure how I could help, and that truly bummed me out. I was itching for revenge, and the people that dug me a grave were just around the corner. I wouldn't fight the NCR over them, but I don't think I could just let things end on their own.

But I was blessed with good company, for Daniel came up with a solution. "Maybe we could negotiate with them?" Ok, that's not really what I want, but it could work.

"We tried that already, but they refused." Monroe pointed out.

"Yeah, of course the refused, you're NCR, the Khans hate your guts and with good reason. Now they should more open to negotiate with a civilian." Dan explained.

"It's least worth a try." Sam added.

The Lieutenant though about it for a second, standing up and walking to the door. "I'm not fully supportive of this plan, but this has gone for long enough. Just know that the NCR is not responsible for anything that happens to any of you."

"You never are…" Daniel whispered in the back.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

"Alright then… follow me."

Follow him we did, entering the door into what once looked like a busy commercial district but was now a cluster of destroyed buildings and rubble. There was so much wood, brick and concrete pilled on the ground, that dozens of NCR soldiers were using it as cover. They all aimed their weapons towards two standing buildings at the end of the street, where I could see a few Khans peaking at us. There probably where more of the hiding inside the buildings, so I could see how this ended the way it did. Two enemies, eager to eliminate each other, stuck in place, unable to do anything about each other.

"Who the hell are these people?" the black haired, clean faced Lieutenant known as Williams approached us with his likely trademarked frown. "Why do we have civilians here?"

"Calm down Williams, we're going to attempt to negotiate with them again." As soon as Monroe said that, he braced for the incoming shit-storm.

"Yeah, because that went so well last time. I can't believe you got civilians to do this for you. They'll probably just shoot them on sight." Williams complained. Their new discussion was grabbing the attention of the soldiers around us.

Monroe lost his patience and beagan shouting. "First, these civs volunteered for this; and second, I'm not having any more of your shit Williams. I have two man tied up with a gun to their heads in there, and rescuing them is my top priority. But with your subtlety, I doubt we'd be able to do that without casualties, so I'm letting these three negotiate with your approval or not." He didn't even want to listen to Williams anymore, so he instead marched to a soldier and took a megaphone from his hands.

Williams clearly wanted to complain some more, but even he must have realized this was the best plan they've got. At least his man did, so he wouldn't say no to this opportunity.

" **Khans, we are willing to negotiate again, this time we will send three civilians to deal with you! I repeat, we're willing to negotiate once more!** " They didn't respond at first, instead there was some movement on the other side, with some Khans talking to one another.

Finally, a door on the last building opened up an one of them popped their his head out and shouted back. "We agree to negotiate, but we want just one person to come, and we want him unarmed!"

"You can't agree to that! They'll just take another hostage!" Williams complained again.

"Fuck it, I'm tired of waiting." I said loudly. I grabbed my Varmint Rifle, unholstered That Gun and the M1911A1, handing them over to Daniel. "Take care of these will ya?" I moved the Single Action Army to the holster under my arm. It'd be kept hidden by my duster, and unless they search me thoroughly, they wouldn't find it. I know it's a risk, but I never, ever go anywhere unarmed.

"Like I mentioned, the risks you're taking are on you citizen. If we hear shooting, we'll rush in, but it will probably be to late for you." Monroe warned me. Good, thanks for the vote of confidence.

"You sure you wanna do this Court?" Samantha asked, looking genuinely worried. "I'm not doubting your persuasion skills, but I don't like the look of this."

I smirked at her concern. "Don't worry doll, I got this. But thanks for being worried, I appreciate it." She sent me another warm smiled before I turned towards the Khans.

Before I left Dan patted me on the shoulder. "Good luck in there kid, don't get shot in the head again."

"Kid? That's a new one. I'm not really young you know."

"I'm two hundred and thirty seven years old, anyone but a ghoul is kid to me." He pointed out.

I just shrugged and agreed. "Good point. Well, I'm off then, see you guys in a bit."

With both my hands high above my head, I slowly made my way down the streets, taking mental notes on my surroundings. There was a half-torn building on my right, where two Khans kept watch with Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistols. On my left were two mostly unharmed buildings, except the closest one didn't have a roof and most of the walls on the second floor were gone, and taking cover behind what was left were a man with a Winchester Model 70 hunting rifle and a woman with a M3 Grease Sub-machine Gun. On the bottom level, two more had their pistols aimed at the two hostages. Everyone kept their eyes on me as me as I walked, throwing me angry and scary looks to intimidate me. I wouldn't work though, I was too focused on what, or better, who was behind the door on the last building.

The same man who made the demands was waiting for, me and opened the door for me to enter. "Come on, move it!" he hit me in the back with the front of this pistol.

"Calm down there friend, I'm goin'." Jeez, what a hothead.

Inside was a small grocery store, with rows of shelves and stands against the walls. At the end of the store was the counter, where three Khans were having a conversation, and another one rested against the wall. They all carried guns: two pistols, a Winchester 1887 Lever-Action shotgun and a Grease gun. The guy closest to me had his back turned. He striked a mostly bald head, with the exception of his tall brown Mohawk, and wore a blue bandana across his forehead. On his body he wore a Navy-blue Great Khans jacket. On the back of said jacket was the iconic drawing of burning skull with Mongolian facial hair and war helm. Every Khan had that drawing on their clothes, no exception.

"We can't stay here forever McMurphy, we've got to do something." A dark skinned Khan told the guy with the Mohawk (Manny back in Novac mentioned McMurphy as his friend from back in the day).

"What do you want me to do huh?" The Mohawk guy replied. "We're pinned in here. We need to wait until the NCR gets the idea that they're only getting their hostages when we walk out of here, safe."

The guy against the wall was the first to notice my approach, and nodded forward to notify his other friends. McMurphy turned around to see me, and how I wish I had a camera to take a picture of his face when he did. His eyes went wide, his skin turned pale, he started shivering like the room suddenly dropped it's temperature to zero.

"What the fuck!" he rubbed both his frightened eyes, like he just woke up from a bad dream. "No… Hell no, I must be high or somethin'!" he looked at his friends, all of which shared his shock. "You guys see this too? Please tell me that's not the courier Benny offed back in Goodsprings.!"

" **I am a ghoooost, back from the dead, and here** **haunt yoooooou! Oooooooh...** " I mocked them with a grimm smile and a shitty ghost impression. I don't think they felt for it, but it definitely gave them some shivers, not to mention how funny it was.

"Real fucking funny, asshole." he pulled out his pistol and casually aimed it at me, just as his friends followed his lead. I still had my hands up, but raised them further to emphasize the idea that I came in peace. "I'll just assume you survived and tracked us down, bravo, but it was real stupid of you to come in here like this. You think you can take us all by yourself?"

"As much as I'd love to bring you some pain, I can see that you're in enough of a pickle right now, so let's skip all that and get to the point: Where's Benny and the Platinum Chip?" The negotiation for the NCR could wait, I had to get this out of the way first.

"Not here, if that's what you're asking. Benny probably has the chip locked in a fancy drawer inside his casino." McMurphy sounded really pissed. "He's probably laughing at me right now, that backstabbing son of a bitch."

Seems like Benny slipped the Khans and legged it. Manny was right, he ain't the kind to trust, not even if you're working for him. "His casino? What do you mean?"

"Heh, you don't even know who you're up against! Well you won't like the answer, I can tell you that much. He's one of the Chairman." Crap, that's bad news. "That's right, he's the big shot who runs the Tops Casino in New Vegas. But don't let that stop ya, I'd love to see his smug turn to a frown when he finds out we lead you to him."

These bits of information make everything different. It was no surprise to me that I was chasing someone big, but I would never imagine it would be someone this big. I've never been to Vegas before, but everyone and their grandmother know who runs the town: Mr. House and The Three Families.

The White Glove Society, The Omertas and The Chairman were all chosen by , the mysterious man who has been living inside the Lucky 38, Vegas's biggest casino. These families helped rid the city of bad apples like the Khans and the Fiends, who used live there before getting kicked out, and to grow Mr. House's power. By the time the NCR spread it's borders to Vegas, they found the most prominent independent city in all of the wasteland, just standing there, being rebuilt by a bunch of ex-tribals and some robots. And just like the Vegas from before the war, New Vegas is a massive tourist attraction, one that brings people from all across the west and even the east.

Still, Benny could be Mr. House himself and I'd still chase his tail. Fucker shot me in the head and stole my package. And maybe I'd give up if this whole thing is the Platinum Chip wasn't so god damn mysterious. I need to put this case to rest, at least for the peace of mind, so time to pick up as many clues as I can and get to Vegas.

"Seems like Benny gave you one hell of a slip. Answer some questions I have and I'll make sure I kick his ass for you." I slowly put my hands down, and the Khans did the same with their weapons. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, am I right?

"Are you sure about this McMurphy?" the Khan with the shotgun asked

"All this Courier wants is some revenge, and you can't say you don't want it too." He said, pushing his friends shotgun down before turning back to me. "Ask away."

"How did get to work for Benny?"

"A friend from town contacted me with some info on a big job." He glanced down, disappointed with himself. "I should have known the caps were too good to be true, but there was no way I could have passed up the chance."

"But when it was time to pay up, he double-crossed you?" I guessed, crossing my arms. Now I could easily pull my revolver from under my left arm in case things got ugly.

"The snake left in the dead of night, and when we noticed he was gone, we searched for him. Too bad we ran into a NCR patrol, which led us into the position we are now."

"What about the Platinum Chip he stole from me? What do you know about it?" I didn't expect them to know much, but it was worth the try.

"It's just a big, fancy casino chip, as far as I know. Dunno why it's platinum, nor why is it worth killin' a Courier for."

"All right, thanks. Anything I should know about Benny?" that was my last question for them, at least the last one related to my whole fiasco.

"Only that he's a snake, but that's obvious by now. Of course, if you plan on taking the guy down, prepare for a big fight, he's likely to be surrounded by his guards wherever he is right now. But I bet you'll find him in his casino, The Tops, down at the New Vegas Strip." Nothing I didn't already know or assume.

"Thanks, I'll make sure to watch myself then." Guess that's it, time to do what I was sent here to do. "Now we need to discuss the other matter."

"What is there to negotiate? The NCR backs off, we walk away, nobody gets hurt!" he made it sound like there was no other way, but I'd make him see one.

"You know the Republicans won't let that happen." I could see it in their faces that they knew that, but quickly learned that the Khans were stubborn.

"Well that's their fucking problem. If they don't let us go, we'll cap the hostages!" This time, the Khan with the Grease Gun spoke, cutting McMurphy off.

"Shut up Gabriel, let me handle this!" Gabriel backed off, looking angrily at me. "Sorry 'bout him, but he has a point. We're not afraid to do what needs to be done."

"Right, ok, let's say you do kill the hostages, what do you think will happen? The NCR will just lay down and cry, and you all get to walk away? We both know whether you kill them or not, those fire squads out there will decimate you." For a second, they were at a loss of words.

McMurphy thought for a while before building a new argument. "Well, they sure as hell won't attack us for as long as we have one of them."

"You wish that were true. I was out with the commanding officers, and one of them has a personal hate for Khans, and he's so eager to take offensive action. I heard all that from his own mouth." They all looked at worried, one of them even mumbled to himself and whispered curses.

"That's – that's not true, you're just trying to scare us." McMurphy protested. Seems like wasn't so easy to convince.

"What would I have to gain from scaring you? What I do have to gain is NCR credit for ending this standoff peacefully. Let the hostages go, and I'll promise you'll get to walk out of here unharmed. There hasn't been any NCR casualties so far, meaning your group hasn't committed any higher crimes." They all looked convinced , except the guy with the shotgun.

"What about our casualties huh?" he pointed to a storage room behind the counter, where two Khans laid dead on dirty mattresses sprawled on the floor. "Will the NCR pay for their crimes against us?"

"Look, I'm sorry for what happened to your people, but putting your weapons down is your best shot at getting out of here alive." I didn't have to fake sympathy this time around, because I legitimately felt bad for them. The Khans suffered plenty in their past before, losing many lives to the NCR and the Three Families.

The room stood in silence for a while, the five Khans staring at each other with sadness in their eyes. It was hard decision to make, I understood that much. McMurphy was the first to nod his head, followed by the Khan behind me. The guy against the wall the one with the Grease Gun nodded at the same time, and lastly, the shotgun Khan followed his friends. They were all in agreement.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" McMurphy whispered before leaning over the counter, closing his head to mine. He stared me so hard I though he was looking me in the soul. "You get out there and tell them we'll release the hostages. But you promise me, you **promise me** that you'll get me and my people out of here safely."

With my most true and sincere tone, I answered him. "I promise."

The same Khan that brought me in began escorting me out. Halfway across the store I was called. "Hey, Courier!" I turned around to look at McMurphy, who held a small silver box in his right hand. "Have a souvenir!" He threw me the small box, and I successfully caught it. "That's Benny's lighter. Do us a favor and shove it up his ass when you find him."

I eyed the lighter and then turned it on. It was very pretty and shinny, with the drawing of a Roulette on one side and The Tops Casino logo on the other. "Thanks, I'll try and take you up on that promise."

"New orders just came in, we're to eliminate the Khans, hostages or not." That was the first thing Lieutenant Monroe told me when I returned to the NCR side of the standoff.

"What? No, you can't do that!" I sparked at him. I will not let all the work I've done back there go down the drain, and I refuse to break the promise I made.

"I'm not happy about it either… but to deny a direct order. I could get in trouble for this." Monroe wiped sweat from his forehead. Just like he said, he wasn't happy about those orders, the man looked like he was about to faint.

"What's going on?" a familiar and cheerful voiced asked behind me. "Did you do it? What happened in there?" Samantha was eager to learn what I did as she and Daniel arrived.

"I don't like that look on your face Court." Daniel commented.

"I convinced the Khans to let the hostages go in exchange for their freedom, but Monroe here wants to gun them down like animals." I said that with the aim of placing all the guilt on the good Lieutenant. I know what I said wasn't true, but making the officer feel bad is part of my plan. I will turn this around!

"No! I swear to God, I don't want to do this!" he protested, bringing his hands to his head and walking in circles. "But Williams, if he finds out about the new orders, he will- he won't hesitate to-"

"To do what should have been done a long time ago!" Speak of the fucking devil, and he'll show up with an AR-15, locked and loaded for a firefight. "We have our orders Monroe, tell your man to get ready to fire."

I stepped between the officers and faced Williams. "The Khans agreed to release the hostages, There's no need for a bloodbath!" Our discussion had attracted the attention of a few nearby soldiers, who were looking and trying to listen to what we were saying.

"I guess someone should have told them to the same when they killed my father and raped my mother, but it's too late for that now isn't it?!" he raised his rifle at me and pulled back the charging bolt. "Get out of the way citizen, I have two hostages to recover, and some tribals to kill."

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILLIAMS!" Monroe shouted as he rushed the man and pushed his gun down. "Those Khans surrendered to us! I honestly don't give a rat's ass about you sad past anymore, the Khans we are dealing with are different than the ones who killed your family God damn it!"

"It doesn't matter, we were told to take them out!" Williams shouted back. More and more soldiers gathered around, listening to the fight.

"Go ahead then. Order your man to shoot unarmed people, to repeat what happened in Bitter Springs, to go home with innocent blood on their hands." Williams looked around at his man, witnessing their worried and scared faces. They only caught half of the conversation, but everyone knew what it was about. "You're not fit for the command of this platoon, everyone knows that. Do us a favor, and remove yourself from the area."

Williams clenched his fist with a his strength, and for a second I thought he would punch Monroe. For what felt like an eternity, they both just stood there, looking angrily at each other. Eventually, Williams gave in and marched away from us. Before he disappeared, he looked back to say one last thing. "They don't deserve our mercy. They are nothing but a glorified gang of raiders, you should all remember that."

Everyone remained in silence before Monroe walked up to his megaphone and took it in his hands. " **We are ready to receive the hostages. In exchange for their release, we will let all of you go as you please, for as long as no action is taken against us.** " More silence followed. No one dared to take their eyes from the buildings down the street, afraid of what would follow. Suddenly ,the front door opened up, and a man and a woman passed through it. They were the two hostages I spotted earlier, now free and untied.

"Medics, get ready to receive two possibly wounded soldiers. Check every inch of them, but be sure to make them comfortable. Everyone else, hold their fire, we are leading the Khans out of here." Monroe shouted orders and grabbed his assault rifle.

When the hostages made it across, the combat medics received them and led them down to a makeshift camp behind the lines. Me and my companions took cover with Monroe to watch how things would go down.

"So… are they coming?" Samantha asked.

"I don't know, maybe they are waiting for a signal or something." I guessed.

Monroe brought the megaphone to his hand, but before he could say anything, the door to store opened up, and McMurphy walked out with his weapon holstered and his hands in the air. Behind him were the rest of the man I saw inside, and as soon as he passed the buildings, more and more Khans began to follow his lead. "Keep it cool everyone, we're not gonna do anything." McMurphy shouted to the other Khans. He then turned to the NCR and shouted. "We kept the end of our bargain, your turn!"

" **Don't worry,** " Monroe shouted into his megaphone. " **Just make your way towards the exit, and you'll be clear to go to Red Rock Canyon. We'll radio all units stationed on the way to let you through.** " Red Rock is the place where the remaining Khans now live. They used to be all around the north of Vegas, but after Mr. House and the Three families kicked them out, they retreated to the outskirts of the city. And then there was slaughter at Bitter Springs… the Khans in Red Rock are the only ones that remain.

From where I was standing, I could see a quick grin on McMurphy's face. Him and his friends had hope things would end up all right, and so far, everything proved that they would. The remaining Khans slowly walked out of the buildings and joined their friends to leave town. They were halfway across the street, and everyone seemed calm enough.

I firmly gripped my .44 round necklace, rubbing my finger over it and feeling the initials that where carved on it's side. I already knew I was nervous, but it was only after I felt the "C.T." on my fingers that I realized I was more than nervous, I was tense, the same way usually get before a gunfight. I shouldn't be like this though, Things are going well, it seems like peace can finally be an option between these two facti-

* _ **BANG**_ *

As newly acquired instinct, I activated V.A.T.S., using the time freeze to scout the situation. Cycling through each Khan in front of me, I tried to locate the shooter, but instead, I found the target.

One of McMurphy's friends, who was right beside him, had bullet wound on his chest. I could see his frozen expression of shock and surprise, which would soon turn into pain. He wouldn't die immediately, but he would feel some pain before passing out and dying from blood loss, because as soon as I exit V.A.T.S. the bullet will come out of his back. I've seen this kind of damage before, it was definitely caused by rifle caliber.

If I could shout while V.A.T.S. was up, I would have been screaming. I was angry, angry with whoever took the shot, angry at myself for not seeing this coming. How did I not see that coming?

When things began to move again, I turned around to see Lt. Williams holding a smoking assault rifle before one of his soldiers jumped on him, bringing him to the ground. I glanced at the Khans again and saw them pull out their guns and start firing.

"YOU FUCKING TRAITORS!" I heard McMurphy shout over the gunfire. His eyes met mine, and I saw all the rage he had in him, and the worst part is that most of that rage was directed at me. He raised his pistol and lined the barrel with my forehead. As much as my instincts screamed at me to duck, something held me in place . "THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY-" He was suddenly hit in the neck by a random NCR private and fell to the ground, gripping his wound as he choked on his own blood.

The firefight was over almost as quick as it began. The Khans had no cover and were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. Every NCR solider opened fire down on that street, littering the Khans with bullets. Soon, they were all on the floor, dead or dying, and the blood that poured from their wounds joined up into a large red pool that was sliding down the road towards us.

How did I not see that coming?

To my left, Monroe was sitting motionless with his head tilted towards the ground. No one dared to move a muscle, not even Williams, who kneeling and immobilized by two of his man. Samantha had her hands over her mouth, and was trying her best to hold tears. Daniel's ghoulish eyes trembled in shock, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop looking at the bodies.

Daniel was the first to express movement. He turned the man who caused this mess and made his way to him. They both locked eyes for a minute, and before I could ask Daniel what he was doing, he clench his fist in the air.

"I- I didn't, I couldn't… I'm so-" Williams tried to explain before the fist came down on him.

* **Whack** * The fist went up and down again. * **Whack** * * **Whack** * * **Crack** *

If I hadn't thrown my arms around the ghoul and pulled him back, he'd keep punching the man for who knows how long. "Daniel, what are you doing?" I pushed him away from me and the Lieutenant, and he stumbled backwards, grunting like a mad dog. In his eyes I saw the same rage he had back in Nipton or when we found the dead ghouls in the REPCONN basement.

This time, he didn't argue. His grunts turned into heavy breathing before he calmed down. Without saying a single word, he left the town center through the same door we came in.

*Pfhot*

That was the sound of Williams spitting out a broken tooth along with some blood. He stood up with difficulty, wobbling back and forward before resting against a pile of rubble. When he was done cleaning his mouth, he looked forward and witnesses the pool of blood and corpses he created. He stared at it with dead eyes. "I did this, didn't I?"

Monroe walked up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. They both stared at each other before the dark haired Lieutenant broke into tears. "Oh God… what have I done!?"

"Can't you see?" Monroe asked him. "You became the monster you hated the most."


	19. Chapter 19: On The Road

Chapter 19: On The Road

Not a single word was spoken since we left Boulder City. The sky was dark and the stars shined with all their might as the full Moon illuminated our way. The night was beautiful, too beautiful for the current mood. We were all against travelling in the darkness, but we were also against spending another minute in that town.

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get those images out of my head. The first guy that was shot; Lieutenant Williams holding a smoking assault rifle; the pool of blood with the bodies all around it; It all kept flashing back and forward through my mind. But worst memory was that of McMurphy. I promised him I'd get him and his people out of there safely. I failed.

He died full of anger, thinking I betrayed him, thinking I led him into a trap, and I might just have done that. I knew Williams had a personal anger against the Great Khans, so why did I not see that coming?

I tried to make excuses, to tell myself it wasn't my fault. When I realized that wouldn't work, argued they helped Benny get to me. Hell, it was probably one of the Khans who dug my grave. I wasn't really that good of a grave.

Yes... they may not have been that bad when I first talked to them, but maybe they deserved what they got. The NCR wouldn't have just chased them to Boulder City if they weren't dangerous. Of what I know about the Khans history, they are violent savages. Just look at what they did to Williams, they killed his family and turned him into a monster-

No! Jesus fuck, what am I thinking?! Nothing can justify that slaughter. I can't believe I almost convinced myself to be OK with that. God damn it! What is wrong with me?!

It's just that... I've seen innocent people die before, Nipton as an example. I don't feel sorry for things like that, at least not like this. I usually get angry, cautious, anxious. But right now, I'm feeling sad, melancholic... disappointed. Those are feelings I haven't experienced in a long time, not since... Shit, it ain't even worth remembering.

So why won't these thoughts leave me alone? Christ, that head wound must have finally cracked me up. I'm back to thinking I really am dead, and this just purgatory, punishing me for my sins. God know I have plenty of those.

God... he doesn't seem to be around much these days. Maybe he took a leave and left the Devil to look after us. I'd explain how things got this shitty, pretty irresponsible of the Man up in Heaven if you ask me-

* **Snooooore** *

That loud sound snapped me back to reality, and I realized Samantha had fallen asleep behind me, and was now resting her head on my shoulder. It wasn't really that late and we were just a few minutes from the 188 Trading Post so I was surprised to see her fall asleep, but then I remembered how she had been locked in that closet for a long time. I imagine she didn't get a lot of rest while she was in there.

I looked to my right, where Daniel was riding Cadillac. His eyes were set on the horizon, and they were cold and expressionless, even for a ghoul.

"Dan?" I called him in a whisper, which he didn't hear. "Dan." I called again, a little louder this time, but still no answer. "Dan!"

"Huh?" he woke up from his trance and looked around, until he realized I was the calling him. "Yeah, what is it?"

Despite my above average social skills, I have never been good when it came to talking about serious stuff, but I couldn't hold myself any longer. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your thinking session... It's just that… I'm kind worried about you Dan."

He raised an eyebrow and laughed casually. "Worried about me? That's nice of you and all, but what have I done to leave you worried?"

"Oh please, don't pretend I haven't noticed little your fits of rage." His laugh died out and he looked away from me, pretending we were not going to have this conversation. "Actually, calling them little is an understatement. I first saw them in Nipton, then over at the test site and now with Lt. Williams."

I expected him to say something, but he kept on riding, once again with his eyes on the horizon. Seems like I'll have to nudge him a little more.

"I think I'm starting to see a pattern here Dan." I'd rather hear his reasons than to make assumptions of my own, but he ain't giving me a lot of choice here.

Again, he remained silent, his eyes still fixed in the distance, like I hadn't said anything. I took some offense to that. Don't wanna talk about it? Fine, but don't ignore me, that's just rude. "Alright, pretend I never said anything."

We kept riding for couple of minutes, listening to nothing but the wind and the crikets in the distance. The closer we got New Vegas, the less dangerous the roads got, since NCR and caravan traffic increased as we reached the town. On that topic, I could now see the lights of the infamous city in the distance, like a giant light bulb left in the middle of the desert. Standing over the horizon was a large tower in the shape of needle, with a roulette-like form on the top. Surrounding that tower were the smaller but just as bright casinos that Vegas was famous for. It was quite a sight to see, you don't get to witness civilization prosper like this anywhere else.

Thinking about the town made me remember of some questions I had. "Hey Dan, that big tower over there. That's the Lucky 38 right?" Maybe some small talk would break the ice we had frozen ourselves in.

He relaxed a bit when he noticed the question wasn't going to be about him, and stared at the tower as he explained. "Right. It's the most known and at the same time the less visited casino in the Strip." I shrugged at his vague explanation, and he rolled his eyes. "The Three Families claim that it's the home of Mr. House."

Home of , I almost laughed at that. "Yeah, that I already know, but why do you say it's empty? Is the service there bad?" Tales of the man who saved Vegas from the bombs stretch all the way to California, but not a lot is known about the guy. I never wondered why though.

"You see, that man is slowly going from a hero to a legend, and I say legend as in people are starting to doubt his existence. The 38 has been closed for business for… well no one knows how long. I've never heard of anyone who's been inside, not even The Three Families. As matter of fact, no one claims to have seen House either. Apparently, he locks himself inside the casino and never gets out." Daniel explained.

Well ain't that a peculiar tale? It only raised more questions. "How did he call The Three Families to work for him then?" I asked. Maybe personal interviews were not House's style.

"I guess he used his Securitrons." Daniel simply said. "Those things can be found everywhere around The Strip, and they mention the man every now and then, saying things like "welcomes to The Strip, have a nice stay"." Daniel tried imitating a robot, which might have been the funniest thing I've ever seen him do. His ghoulish voice mixed with the imitation of static made him nearly unintelligible .

"Securitrons?" I asked laughing and taking my mind back to Goodsprings, when I first met Victor. "Does he like, owns all of them?"

He stopped to think about it for while. "Yeah, I think so. I mean, there's that cowboy Securitron who seemed to know you back in Novac. You never really explained what all that was."

I already told him most of my story, so I guess it couldn't hurt to tell him more about Victor. "I don't have much proof yet, but I think Victor has something to do with the delivery for the Platinum Chip." Now Dan looked more confused than me. "I'm serious. The guy running the Mojave Express back in Primm, where the job was requested, told me it was a "cowboy robot" who did it. Not only that but I feel like he's been trailing me. You're gonna tell me it was karma who put him in the Goodsprings Cemetery when I was shot?"

"Heh, I feel like you should be more grateful to him, he did save your life." I don't think he was joking. "Maybe it was all just coincidence, and he's just a nice robot with a lose wire. Not the first time I see one of those."

"You do stumble upon a lot of things when you're over 200 years old, am I right?" I said jokingly.

"You steal my line one more time and I'll kick your ass back into that grave." We laughed out loud for a good while before remembering that Samantha was asleep. We tried to keep it down, but that was kind of hard when something suddenly jumped out of the shadows.

"Howdy there friends!" a familiar synthesized voice greeted us.

" **What the fuck!** " I shouted.

" **Jesus**!" Dan followed

" **THE GECKO'S FOUND US!** " Sam screamed as she woke up with a jump. I'd have to ask her about what kind of dream she was having later, because right now, I had something else in mind.

That robotic voice made my heart skip a beat. Other than my hands, who were pulling Nina's reins and bringing her to a stop, my whole body froze. My horse threw her front legs in the air due to the sudden stop and neighed loudly.

"What the hell?!" Dan shouted as he tried to calm Cadillac. "You scared the shit out of us you stupid pile of scrap!"

As I feared, on the side of road, just standing under a small gas station was Victor, the cowboy Securitron we were just talking about.

"Whats is happening?" Sam asked, looking around startled and confused, putting her hand on Gabriel the shotgun. Her eyes settled on the robot and she pointed to it. "Who is that?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked with too much despise to answer Sam. There was no way that this meeting was just another coincidence.

"Fancy meeting you here!" he said, ignoring my question. "You headin' to Vegas too? Get those dices rolin', maybe find some fine gals to spend the night with, huh?" His friendly attitude only made him more annoying. He was hiding something, and sooner or later I'd find out what.

"Where I'm going none of your business, and I asked you a question Victor. Why are you following me?" I made my impatience clear this time by resting my hand above my duster, which was covering my Peacemaker revolver.

"What in hell makes you think something like that, friend?" he asked as if I just offended him deeply. "Here I am, rollin' along with my spurs, happy to find an' ol' pal on the road, and I get bombarded with such a question? Ain't my fault Dorothy and the Tin Man happened to be on the same yellow-stripped road."

"Call it a hunch, but think there's something you're not telling me, Victor." I wasn't having any of this. "Tell me what you were doing in Goodsprings when I got shot. Did you know it would happen?"

Samantha shrugged and launched Daniel a very confused look. He just waved his hand down, signaling her to wait things out.

"I'll be a Bighorner doodle before I let someone get shot the way you did, all defenseless and tied up on the ground. Now I don't know about fancy-pants, but I like an old fashioned duel when it comes to dealing with bullets. And I already told you I was out for stroll that night, and just happen to spot some confusion up on that graveyard." I didn't believe him for a second, mainly after something he just said, but sadly, trying to get something out of a robot was nothing like doing it to a human.

But if I played my cards right, I could probably get him to slip me another lie. "I found out who's the guy that tried to kill me. Guess I'll be getting payback after all." If Victor had anything to do with Benny, this should tickle something out of him.

"So it's just down to you and fancy-pants. Don't worry about him though, he looked all hat and no cattle to me." He did it again. I could now confirm, this robot was lying to me, and for as much as I wanted to shoot that wheel of his feet and spend the night questioning him, I was going to let him go. Maybe he'd lead me into his end goal some other day.

"I'm not worried. Matter of fact, I'm feeling very confident." I tapped Nina on the sides and began trotting away from the Securitron. "See you around Victor."

He raised his long claw and waved a large goodbye. "Happy Trails!"

After the robot was out of sight and but not out of mind, Daniel rode closer to me. "Ok, now I believe you, there's definitely something strange going on. So why are we just riding away? We should tip that massive thin can over like cattle and let Sam here rummage through his brain."

"As much as I like that idea," Sam began. "I doubt I'd be able to crack through a Securitron, at least not in a single day. Those things have a ridiculous amount security measures."

"It's alright Sam," I reassured her. "we don't need to crack any heads tonight, I already got something."

"What do you mean?" Sam and Daniel asked me, both at the same time.

"He lied to me, twice. I don't know why, but he did it." I mumbled to myself.

"How so?" Daniel asked.

"He called Benny fancy-pants two time during our conversation." I know I wasn't mistaken. I remember the talk we first had in Goodsprings as well as the one we just had.

"So?" Daniel asked, not seeing the connection. "People who met him all said he goes around in fancy checkered suit, at least that's what you told us."

Once more, I reviewed my memories and my facts, and they ended on the same conclusion: He lied to me. "You're right, he does wear a fancy-suit, but when I asked Victor if he took a look at the people who shot me… he said he didn't. So how the hell does he know what how Benny dresses like?"

As I expected, no one answered that question. What the hell have I gotten myself into? It's starting to feel like some weird convoluted plot and not just a simple robbery, but nothing so far made any sense.

"Hold up a minute." Samantha called out, interrupting my thoughts. "Can somebody explain to me what the fuck was all that about?"

I sighted and prepared an explanation in my head. "Alright, remember when I mentioned that a robot pulled me out of my grave…"

After a long ride, the crew and I had finally arrived in the 188. It was a small trading post with a couple of tents and barracks selling all kinds of goods. Since we were all incredibly tired, we headed straight to the bar and bought three beds for us to spend the night. We didn't delay ourselves for long, and I fell asleep as soon as I hit the ground.

My dreams weren't too pleasant though.

 _I was back on the empty white room, same as the one from my dream in Goodsprings. Benny's mannequin was right there, in front of me, still pointing his golden 9mm pistol at my head. The main difference now was the Khan's mannequins were all laying on the floor, each with one or more holes on some parts of their bodies. The closest one had a fake Mohawk on his head, probably representing McMurphy. I could confirm that once I realized he had a hole on his neck, the same place he was hit back in Boulder._

" _God damn it!" I shouted. This time I knew I was in a dream. I was angry at myself right now, angry at my subconscious. "What is this supposed to be, some sort of guilt trip?"_

 _None of the mannequins answered anything. The room remained stagnant, silent. Nothing happened and it didn't seem like it would._

" _I already know I fucked up!" I shouted once more towards Benny's mannequin. I think I was expecting some sort of reply. All I knew is that I had a feeling that I was being watched. "You think I don't know that?"_

 _Once again, things remained still. The mannequins wouldn't budge, the lights wouldn't flicker or turn off. For what felt like an eternity, I just remained there, kneeling under that gun._

 _But then I blinked, and the mannequins moved. Benny was gone, and the Khans have made a circle around me. They were still damaged, and lying on the floor._

" _What do you_ _ **want from me?!**_ _" I shouted, causing my voice to echo back and forward along the walls._

 _Despite blinking a couple of times, things remained the same. I was starting to panic, I didn't know what the point of this was. Was even there supposed to be one? Is this some sort of punishment? For what I did? For what I didn't do? For what I let happen? For I should have done?_

…

 _Nothing. No change, no answer._

 _No nothing._

 _Nothing._

 _..._

…

 _I close my eyes, and I take a deep breath._

 _..._

 _I feel a cold wind brush against my face, but I keep my eyes closed._

…

" _I blame my self. I blame myself for letting those Khans die. But you already know that don't you"_

…

 _..._

 _The wind hits me again, a little warmer this time._

…

…

" _Why? I don't fucking know. Maybe it's because it proves I'm not smart or quick enough. Maybe it's because it reminds of my previous fuck ups. Maybe it's because I keep thinking things could have gone another way, if I just tried harder."_

 _..._

 _The wind was even warmer now._

 _…_

" _Of course I wanted to try harder. I've been trying harder for years, it worked, you know it did! What do you mean it's not right? What do you know of right?"_

 _..._

 _The wind was now more than just warm, it was hot, almost unpleasant._

 _…_

" _You think you know what is bothering me?!" I say that opening my eyes, even angrier than before._

 _This time, I realize I'm not talking to myself anymore. All the Khan's mannequins were gone, replaced by a new, standing one. He wore a long leather duster over a leather western jacket and a white cloth shirt. On his neck was a .44 magnum round turned into a necklace, with the letters C.T. engraved on it._

" _No… NO…_ _ **NO! THAT IS NOT IT! I WOULDN'T…**_ _I could never… please…" All that shouting was making me run out of breath. Now I know why I'm here, he wants me to remember, he wants me to go back, but I won't, I could never go back._

 _My mannequin just kept staring at me, I knew he was, even when he didn't have any eyes. He was judging me, questioning me,_ _ **insulting me!**_

" _You think you're any better!? I know what you want, I_ _ **know**_ _what you think! I won't listen to you, asshole,_ _ **I won't go back**_ _,_ _ **FUCK YOU IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE**_ _-"_

" **MUUUUUUHHH!** "

Whatever that sudden loud sound was, it made me jump out of my bed like a rocket. As soon as I was up, I was met with a wet and meaty rub to my face. It was only when whatever was attacking me let go that I was capable of analyzing the situation.

My Peacekeeper was already at hand, since I slept with it under my pillow, and I instinctively grabbed it when I got startled; and I was now aiming it down at my attacker...

A Pack Brahmin?

"Oh man, sorry about that!" A caravaneer apologized as he pulled his pack animal away from me. He retreated as quickly as he could, and I noticed some fear in his eyes. After looking down at myself, I realized I'd also be scared if I saw someone that looked like I do. I was wearing nothing but my pants and my white shirt, which stuck to my skin due to all the cold sweat I was soaked in. That dream must have made me all worked up, and if I had to guess, I'd I didn't look like the calmest person in the Mojave. It didn't help that I was holding forward a Colt Single Action Army like I planned to use it.

"It – It's ok, sorry for the scare." I apologized to the caravaneer and holstered my revolver. I retreated back to my bed, sitting back down on it.

Did I mention the "beds" we bought were actually a couple of mattresses laid on an underpass? And apparently, it was also a busy one.

The sun was already up, but it couldn't have been for long. Seems like this is the first batch of travelers passing or leaving the 188, and they just so happen to have a very friendly packing Brahmin. I shouldn't complain though, he saved me from an awful nightmare.

I looked to my left, than my right. Both mattresses were empty. Seems like my companions are early birds.

Well, I sure ain't falling asleep again, might as well wake up completely, and nothing like a good stretching session to help with that. It was an old habit of mine, and I like to do it as often as I can, mainly after sleeping in such a bad condition. At least the "beds" were cheap.

"You trying to become a contortionist, Court?" Samantha asked, giggling as she approached me from down the road with bag on hands. "Carefull not to rip your own arm out."

"It helps to keep me flexible. It feels pretty good too, getting your limbs all stretched and relaxed." I explained to her. "Where's Dan?"

She pointed down the underpass, towards a rundown van that was crashed against the wall. Upon closer inspection I noticed that our ghoul friend was having a discussion with some other fella resting against a pillar.

"Is he gonna get himself in trouble again?" I asked Sam, who just shrugged and smiled. "I'll go take a look at what's happening, you can stay here."

"Alright," she said, sitting down on her bed and reaching inside the bag. "but before you go, take this." She pulled out a piece of bread with cram inside. "I bought us some breakfast!"

I picked the food from her hands and nodded thankfully. "Much obliged."

And so I strolled towards our ghoulish friend, who seemed to be getting a little angrier by the minute.

"Am I selling? Yeah. Am I selling to you? No. Sorry to hurt your feelings old man, but you're small time, move along." The man Dan was arguing with had brown spikey hair combed down and wore a jacket with two ammo belts crossing in the middle, forming an X. He had his arms crossed and a stuck-up attitude so intoxicating he ruined my morning mood.

"Small time? Old man?! Boy, I've been dropping lead before your grandfather put your dad inside your granny." Dan told him, obviously offended by the guy's insults.

"I don't give a damn, **old man**. The amount you're willing to pay is probably not even worth the trouble of opening the crates." I noticed that said crates were laid all over the inside of the old van. Most of them were sealed, with the exeption of two, one filled with to brink with various kinds of ammo, and the other had as many Winchester Model 70 hunting rifles as it could hold.

"Damn, you guys are packing some serious heat." I complimented with whistle as I approached the two, munching on my cram sandwich. Inside and around the van were multiple bodyguards carrying all kinds of ballistic weapons, from shotguns to sub-machineguns and assault rifles. "You guys selling some of that hardware?"

The stuck-up scoffed at me "I'll give you the same answer I gave ragged towel here. I'm selling, but not to you."

"Ragged towel?" Dan shouted angrily. He raised his fist to punch the guy, but froze at the sound of multiple guns being loaded. He looked around, growling at each bodyguard before putting his fist down. "Hurgh"

These guys were packing, and just looking them in the eyes showed me they wouldn't hesitate to mown Dan and I down if they deemed it necessary. I still had my Peacekeeper on me, but since I wasn't wearing my duster, only my white shirt, it was in full view of everyone, losing the element of surprise. Besides, their numbers were a little too big for my taste.

I pulled the ghoul behind my back and whispered into his ears. "Let me show you how it's done, pal." Turning to the dick resting on the pillar, I opened my arms in an inviting gesture. "Excuse my friend here, despite his age, he is still learning his manners."

"Pfft, yeah, I can see that." He replied with a taunting smile. "Now you can turn around and join him, cause I'm still not selling to you."

"Come on, hear me out. I think I will be worth your time." I pointed to the open ammo crate with my left hand and pulled out That Gun with the right, pointing it to the sky. The bodyguards took aim at me, but I just ignored them. "I've been looking to buy some loose 5.56×45 rounds. I already have a few on speedloaders, but It's time I have some ready to load one by one." Just like reloading an old revolver, since a speedloader could only be used if the gun was completely empty.

He looked at my odd revolver, impressed with it's design. "That's a nice piece you've got. But I'm too tired and lazy to waste my time selling a few bullets to some random cowboy, so piss off."

Oh I wasn't giving up so easily. I reached behind my back and pulled out my Varmint Rifle, and then threw it on the ground in front of him, along with the five mags I had for it.

Complex raised an eyebrow and looked at the pile, confused. "What's this supposed to mean?"

"I wanna trade. Need a better rifle, something fast and affordable, but with enough power to kill a bighorner." Truth is, I didn't need a rifle all that much. The Varmint was serving me right and 5.56×45 is strong and affordable enough. But I knew exactly who I was dealing with here. Large and well guarded shipment of guns, only to be sold to prestige costumers, all this could only belong to the Gun Runners, the best gun manufacturers in… well… in the everywhere, I think. Their guns are clean, well built and very powerful, and it was about time I got rid of that rusty old rifle.

"And why do you think I wanna trade something for this piece of junk?" he asked in a mocking tone.

I piointed to a bodyguard who was sitting against the wheel of the van while he cleaned his gun. "Because your friend right there has a shinny and new Winchester Model 1892 chambered for .44-40 and I want one." The bodyguard overheard me and hugged the lever-action rifle, shaking his head. "Only if it comes with that Gun Runners level of quality of course."

"Don't worry Jeremy, he won't take your rifle" jackass told his bodyguard before addressing me. "I see that you know your guns, I respect that. Maybe we can do business after all." He picked up my old rifle and threw it into the the van. He then montioned to one of his friends, who grabbed a crate from the vehicle and placed it between me and and his boss before waltzing back to the van. "Alexander's the name, welcome to the Gun Runners." See, with a bit of patience and charisma, you can settle down even the angriest of rattlesnakes.

His friend came back with a crowbar, using it to open the crate. Inside were more Models 1892 stacked on each other, each as clean as they can get.

"Now we're talking!" I crouched and grabbed a rifle, testing the gun's weight and balance. I than played around with it, as if i was shooting a target repeatedly. It was pretty much perfect, with a beautiful wooden stock of the right size and a durable lever with a soft mechanism that could be moved with ease. "How much?"

Alexander stared me in the eye and shot me a mean grin. "Seven hundred caps, discount for the Varmint Rifle included."

Oh wow! That was… more than expected. Sure, this isn't some old scavenged old world relic, but a brand new gun manufactured by the best of the best. Still, a little overpriced though. I gave the gun another analysis, and again, the work here was impressive, down to the minimal details. Plus, it didn't come with the annoying peep sight the old world version of the same gun had. It's everything I looked for in a rifle, although I wish it used .45-75 gov't instead, but God knows those are some expensive rounds.

I couldn't walk out of here empty handed, so I gave in. "I'll take it. Does it come with a guarantee?"

Alexander and all his bodyguards laughed like I had just told them a really funny joke. "Don't worry pal, when it comes to the Gun Runners, you don't need one."

"If you ask me, you've been ripped off." Samantha commented as we traveled down the streets of Vegas. Not the actual Vegas mind you, but the parts of the city that were left to destruction and decay. New Vegas itself was behind an extensive wall of scrap that circled dozens of city blocks. To the south of that wall was The Strip, where all the fancy cassinos lined up along the wide street like a bunch of pretty courtesans on a stage. North of the wall was the rest of the city, and Dan told me it wasn't as flashy or fancy, but you could still have some fun if you looked around.

"No, it was good deal." Daniel contested. "I usually bring my rifle to the Gun Runners so they can give it some maintenance, and every time I get it back, it's like I'm being given a new one. It has never failed me, not even once, and it should be the same for that new lever-action of yours. Just remember to clean it every once in a while and it will serve you good."

"That's good to know, cause this rifle wasn't any cheap." The Model 1892 now took place of the Varmint Rifle, hanging behing my back by a shoulder strap. It was already loaded with seven rounds, and I bought twenty-one extra and stored them in my ammo bag. "And it's a nice upgrade from my old one."

Samantha shrugged. "If you say so." She raises her head over my shoulder to look at the long wall of scrap. "How far is the entrance anyway? We've been riding for a while." There was no way in from the south, so we had to circle around to the opposite side of the city to enter it.

"I thought you lived in Westside, which is just a short walk from Vegas. Have you never seen the entrance?" Daniel questioned.

"Of course, but I've only been to the western entrance, and I know it's not the only way in." she replied.

"It's not. The eastern entrance should be just past past the Gun Runner"s manufacturing facility." Daniel pointed northwest, where a large factory hugged the wall, with four tall chimneys slowly spilling smoke into the air. "That's right, this is where the best guns across the Mojave come from."

"Hey buddy, look over there." Sam whispered for my Winchester, pointing at the factory. "That's your home right there."

"Stop treating it like a child." Daniel complained. "Actually, stop treating it like a person altogether."

Sam just scoffed at him and showed him the tongue. Daniel rolled his eyes in response and ignored her.

A few minutes later we were passing right next to the factory, but we weren't able to get too close, since the place was surrounded by tall spiked fences with some angry looking guards inside. Dan pointed to a small shack outside the fence, and he told us that's where their best guns are sold, without coming in large shipments, that is.

True to the ghoul's word, we soon arrived at the eastern gate, which was as big as the wall itself. Gathered outside were all kinds of people, from junk dealers in their small and makeshift shacks to armored mercs defending the Brahmin caravans that had just arrived. Some Greaser looking fellas with combed hair and clean clothes were talking to each other by the road, and I just have to say, they were kinda looking out place. They clearly had gel on their hair and most wore black jackets, and some even had a prison shirt under them.

"Alright, here we are, Freedside." Daniel cheered as we stopped a couple of feet away from the gate. "I'm guessing this is where we say our goodbyes Sam."

"Wait!" she sparked. "Why?"

"Uhhh, you said you were visiting your dad in Westside." Dan explained. "That's a little out of our way."

"Oh, right…" she continued, like she forgot her original plans. "Hey, the day is far from over. Maybe I should just stick with you guys for longer, I'm not in a hurry."

Dan and I shared a look. I turned back to the girl (Not really, since she was sitting behind me, so doing that was kind of hard.) and raised an eyebrow. "Sam, it kinda sounds like you don't want to leave us."

She remained silent for a while, shifting in the saddle. "Well… alright, I'll admit, I'm sort of curious to see how all this is going to play out. I've come kind of far with the two of you, so I figured maybe you'd let me tag along. Besides, you two can use my help, I'm really good at using Gabriel, and my technical expertise can really come in handy, and...and... uh… I make some really good Gecko omelets, you'll definitely want me around after I serve you some-"

"Sam!" I yelled, stopping her rambling in its tracks. The way she was going at it, I think she was forgetting to breathe. "Sam, this it's not about your skills, we know you're good at what you do. But this isn't your fight. I can't be responsible for you getting hurt." I stopped to think for a bit and turned to Daniel. "Same thing goes to you. You said you've decided to stick with me because you planned on returning to Vegas anyway, and now here we are. You two can go now. I'll find Benny, and I'll deal with him, but I don't need to guys to risk your lives anymore."

I don't want those two to see something like Nipton or Boulder City again. I can barely forgive myself for that, imagine what would happen if they got hurt on my account… or worse.

"Court, you can't just dismiss us like that." Dan contested.

"I can't?" I dared him. "Technically, I just did."

I expected Dan to respect my wishes. I didn't know a lot about the guy, but someone who has been wandering for as long as he did must understand me wanting to go at it alone. I know that I do.

Instead, Dan looked angry, like I had just insulted him. "Yeah, we're here in Vegas, just like I wanted." Daniel began. "But that is not my focus anymore. Like you, I'm not the kind of guy to get attached easily, but if there's something I respect is a brother in arms, and we've been through enough for me to consider you one. So I'm not giving up now, not when we're so close to getting the asshole who tried to kill you."

Wow… that was quite something. Even Sam was baffled by his speech, and didn't even try to match him. "Yeah… what he said goes for me too."

I sighed hard, a little too hard. I didn't want this, I'm not saying their help isn't useful, not at all. I couldn't have better company through the things I've been through… but I can't, I can't put them in danger anymore, they don't deserve it. I though they'd be gone once we arrived here but they just don't want to let me go.

"Alright…" I finally said, visually not happy about this. "But only if we reach a compromise. When the time to face Benny arrives, I'm doing it on my own."

Dan didn't look too pleased "Come on Court, we won't let-"

"NO!" I suddenly shouted, startling both of them. "No… I'm not arguing with you two. Either you agree, or you leave." None of them wanted to give in, but they didn't have a choice. I didn't give them any choice. "Do we have a deal?"

They didn't say anything, but I got my answer in the form of a few nods

"Good."

The gate was closed and a single man in metal armor armed with an assault rifle stood in front of it. Once we approached him he walked to the handle a pulled the gate open. "Welcome to Freeside, children." He spoke with a thick and somewhat ironic. "Have fun in there, and watch out for strangers, they just love to play with newcomers." He let out an unsettling laugh as we rode in with our horses.

"Jeez, what a creep…" Sam whispered to us when we made some distance.

"Don't dismiss him just yet young lady," Dan spoke to her. "He was giving us a warning. Freeside is a dangerous place, and fresh blood is very common target for the local thugs, and these horses only makes us bigger targets. On that last note, follow me." He turned left as soon as we crossed the gate, heading for a tall tent, with a very old and very fat man with tanned skin sleeping inside on a chair. Behind the tent was a large and straight wooden house along the wall, and a another smaller house across from it.

Dan hopped of his horse and walked to the old man, kicking him in the leg. "Wake you lazy slug, you've got costumers."

The old man woke up in a jump, desperately looking around and fixing his glasses to see who ruined his nap. "Huuh! Wha, who is-?" His eyes settled on Daniel. Despite his apparent age, the old man had a long black hair falling behind his head, with no signs of receding. His eyes were dark and slimmer than most people, as if he had Asian decent, but not quite so. "Oh, it's you." He said, rather disappointed. "One of these days, you'll give me a heart attack Daniel." He spoke with a slight countryside accent.

"Then I'll doing you a favor. Don't you get tired of decaying on that chair?" Daniel said with a smile.

"Ha! Look who's talkin'. Mah ballsack looks healthier than you!" the old man laughed so loudly I thought his cords would explode. Instead, he just went into a coughing fit, using Dan's shoulder as support.

"I've missed you too Waya. How are the kids?" Daniel asked, slapping him in the back a couple of times and helping him sit down on his chair again, before taking a seat next to him. Samantha and I got off Nina, but stood outside the tent while the two talked.

"Same ol' story, last I heard of Moha those NCR pricks moved 'im to Camp Golf, close to the front lines, and I don' need to tell ya that Ahyoka is worried to death 'bout him." The man told Daniel. Waya, Moha, Ahyoka, those were all very uncommon names. They reminded me of some words I heard from some tribals as they chased me across the desert some years ago. I hope the old man won't try to eat me like they did.

"She must be. Where is the girl anyway?" Danie asked, noticing that Sam and I were still outside and calling us in. "By the way, I've found myself some company for the road. Meet Court and Samantha, and you two meet Waya."

"Hi, nice to meet you." I offered him my hand and he shook it.

"Hello!" Sam smiled and waved.

"How kind of you to bring new costumers. Hello there youngins, welcome to the Tasunke Stable. As for yer question Daniel, Ahyoka must be in the back, feedin' the animals." Waya looked over his shoulder and shouted as loud as he could. "YOKA, WE GOT COSTUMERS!"

A woman quickly responded in the distance. "HOLD ON, I'M COMIN'!"

"She'll take yer horses in a bit, but fer now, tell me where you've been. You disappeared fer a while, so ya must have some good stories to tell." He patted Daniel on the back and got up from his chair, walking to the back of the tent and bringing two chairs with him, offering us to sit down. "Here, you two must be damn tired from travellin' with this old man. Did he spend the whole trip talkin' about the good ol' days like he used to do with me?"

I was about to answer as I sat down, but Dan jumped in first. "You know I don't do that anymore, so stop trying to make me look bad and hear me out. We have some business inside The Strip but we don't have a pass. You know how we can get around that?" Dan asked the old man.

He scratched his chin and nodded slowly. "Huh, yeah that might be a problem, but I recon I know how to help ya'll out."

Before he went on I shifted forward in my seat. "Hold on, I'm kinda at a loss here. What are we talking about here? What's this pass?"

Dan scoffed and shook his head. "Sorry, I forget you're fish out of water. You see, getting in The Strip isn't as easy as just walking in. You've gotta pay, and it's far from cheap."

Come on, it couldn't be that bad. "How much?"

All three of the people in front of me looked at each other and then back at me. Dan took a breath and prepared to drop the bomb. "Two thousand bottlecaps."

I almost bit my tongue clean off. How the hell was anyone supposed to afford this?! Maybe if I still had what Benny stole from me I'd be able to pay for it, but then I'd be completely capless. "Yeah, no can do. Any alternatives?"

"I've heard some stories about some people who managed to sneak in, but they're either dead or hidin'. The Securitrons don't take kindly to lawbreakers, and it ain't easy to hide from them since they seem to remember everyone they meet. Scary stuff!" Waya explained.

"Face recognition software, they all must be connected to the same mainframe so they all share the same data…" Samantha mumbled to herself, but then realized we all heard her. "Sorry, just thinking out loud."

"Anyway," Waya continued. "I have a good idea of who can help ya'll, but I'm sure you'll have to help him first."

Dan's eyes grew slightly, and he shifted in his chair. "I think I know who you mean. I thought about it too, but was hoping there was another way."

Waya shook his head slowly. "Afraid not ol' friend, at least not that I know."

"Hey," I called out. "Anyone interested in filling me in on the plan?"

Daniel turned to me. "We know who can get us into The Strip, but-"

"I'm here papa, should I take their horses in?" a female voice interrupted our conversation. Standing on the entrance of the tent was a woman, just little younger than me with long dark hair and tanned skin, same as Waya. Her long and silky hair was tied in a pony tail and fell down to over her shoulder, and she wore a tight red and black flannel shirt over a plain white t-shirt with leather pants and boots. Around her neck was a pretty necklace, made of stones of different colours, ranging from green to red and blue. She also had a countryside accent like her father, but not as strong.

"There she is, mah beautiful daughter." Waya laughed with open arms. "Come in here, meet Daniel's new friends."

"Oh hey Dan, you've been gon' for a while." She walked behind and gave him a quick kiss on his bald head, and I couldn't help but cringe a little. I don't think that's healthy.

"You know me Yoka, I don't stick to one place for long." Daniel pointed out as the woman walked around the circle of chairs towards me and Sam.

"Hi, I'm Court, nice to meet you." We shook hands before Sam introduced herself and did the same.

"I'm Ahyoka, but I'm sure you already know that. Papa uses every change he gets to talk about his children." She said laughing as she joined her father.

"Hahahahah! You can't blame me for havin' such wonderful kids." He turned to me and Sam and waved the back of his hand. "You two, help mah daughter with the horses. Daniel and I need to catch up on some stories. Go, go and ask her any questions you have."

"Uh, sure." Seems like he was kicking us out, so we didn't have much choice. Ahyoka got up and lead us both outside, where Nina and Cadillac were left. "So, how can we help?"

"Oh it's pretty simple, just grab your horses n' follow me." Sam and I did as she ordered. Ahyoka was making her way around the tent, towards the house in the back and we followed. "What's their names? I like to know what people call their horses."

"Court's girl is called Nina." Sam answered her. "This one here belongs to Daniel, but he refuses to name him."

"Oh, so this is Uleyov? Almost didn't recognize you boy!" she said, petting Cadillac on the neck. Neither of us had any idea what she meant, so she giggled at our confused faces and explained. "Oh, right. Since Daniel wouldn't name him, I decided to do it."

"Heh, that's funny," I said, smiling. "I did the same thing, but I gave him the name Cadillac."

"Cadillac?" she asked, tilting her head. "Like, the Old-World cars?"

"That's right. Daniel was being all nostalgic about them old word vehicles when I came up with it. I thought the name was fitting. What does Uleyov mean?" Just like her name, it sounded foreing, or rather, tribal.

"It means "wander". Dan has been ridin' this horse for as long as I've known him. The two of them must have wandered many places in their travels, so I though the name was fittin'… but Cadillac is a good name too."

I quickly realised the house in the back was actually a stable, something I should have figured earlier. Inside there were many other horses, each doing their own thing, be it sleeping, eating or just looking out of their pens.

"All these animals belong to someone?" Samantha asked Yoka.

"Not all of them." She pointed towards the end of the stable. "The three last to left were bred on a farmhouse not too far from here, and they bring 'em here for us to sell. We are one of the very few horse dealers in all of the Mojave."

"Cool! Court, remind me to come back when we get more money." Samantha told me with enthusiasm.

We walked our horses down the corridor until we reached two vacant pens, and Yoka opened them both. "Just walk them in, we'll make sure they're comfortable in their new home."

We did as she said and walked out, allowing her to close them in. I was a little sad to leave them in here. Like Ghost back in the Mojave Outpost, it pains me to see such a large and free spirited animal in such a small enclosure. I walked up to Nina and rested my hand on her forehead. "Don't worry girl, we'll back for you very soon. Don't miss me too much." She let out a loud neigh and pushed me with her head. "Hahah, yeah I'll miss you more than you'll miss me, I'm sure." As a parting gift, I grabbed a handful of Sugar Bombs I kept on one of my pouches and allowed her to lick them off my hand.

I joined the girls again and we began to leave the stables. "You seem to like animals like I do." Yoka commented.

"Well , yeah, but only the ones who aren't trying to eat, bite, sting, rip me apart or any of the other horrible things those mutated monsters like to do." Sadly for me and everyone else, most creatures of the wasteland would love to the things I mentioned. I guess it's our punishment for what we did to the world.

"Hah, I hear ya. Why can't they all be friendly too? I guess anger issues is a symptom of radiation." She added. She had a point, feral ghouls being the biggest offenders. You'd expect people to go dumb or dead after their brains melt, but not angry. And hungry.

When we got back to the tent, Daniel and Waya were outside, still talking. "I'm telling you Daniel, these costumers are getting weirder by the day. What kind chem do you have to use to see rockets flyin' through the air?" Waya questioned.

Daniel gave me a quick glance with wide eyes before replying. "No idea, but these junkies are getting more and more creative, so who knows?"

"We're done papa, anything else you need me doin'?" Yoka asked her dad. He walked next to her and rested his arm on her shoulder. "As a matter of fact I do darlin', except it's not for me, but for our friends here."

"Oh, alright, how can I help ya'll?" she asked us.

I still didn't know what Daniel had planned, so I let him answer. "Your dad thought it'd be a good idea if you presented us to The King since you two know him already."

"Wait, who's the King?" I asked. "Daniel, will you tell me what you have planned already?"

"You don' know who the King is?" Yoka asked me, surprised. "Damn, you're either a long way from home or you've been livin' under a rock."

Daniel let out a short laugh and turned to her. "You don't really hear a lot from The King outside of Vegas, Yoka. But to answer your question Court, we're going to see one of the most influential people in Freeside, and he might just make our passes into The Strip affordable."

Like Daniel said earlier, I was indeed a fish out of water. Not only did I not know a thing about this place, I had no plan whatsoever on getting to Benny. All I could do was leave it to Daniel, and so far he hasn't failed me. I didn't like this though, having to rely on others. I felt guilty, dragging him into all this. Despite their early explanation, I still wasn't convinced on why they were helping me. "Alright then, when will we go see this king?"

"I'm thinkin' in a couple of hours, after ya'll get yourselves a good lunch." Waya answered. "We have a couple of beds in the house for guests, and any friend of Daniel's a friend of mine, so you two are welcome to stay."

"Thanks for the help old friend, I knew I could count on you." Daniel told Waya. The old man just waved him off and put his arm over the ghouls shoulder. "Ahh don't worry about it, I still own ya for all those years ago. Now help me close the stables, it's time for a break. Yoka, you show our guests to their room"

"Right on it pa." She waved at us and we followed. Before we reached the house, Yoka approached me and took a glance at my right arm. "A Pip-Boy huh. We gotta a Vault-Dweller among us?"

I shot her a short smile and shook my head. "Not really. There's a story to it you see…"


	20. Chapter 20: Freeside Rock

Chapter 20: Freeside Rock

To clarify what Freeside is and what you can find here, Yoka pointed out some key people and locations as we made our way to this "King". As the name suggests, Freeside is the section of Vegas that's not protected by a literal paywall. It's not supposed to be as fancy and interesting as The Strip, it's even seen as the "poor man's Vegas", an idea that was enforced by all the damaged building where less fortunate people in rags could be found living in. Down the street from the Tasunke Stables was a general and weapons store called Mick and Ralphs's, named like that because it was run by two brother named… I think you can guess the answer. After walking and turning a block or two, we were led into a street parallel to a large historical fort, like the ones you see in Civil War holomovies. It was named Fort Mormon and it is now a research and medical center for The Followers of The Apocalypse, where they help the people of Freeside as much as they can. From one end of the fort we turned left and passed a smaller gate into another section of Freeside.

"Welcome to the fun part of town, boys and girls." Yoka said, leading us down the street, which now turned wide and long, meaning this was the begging of The Strip. "To your left you will find multiple shops selling food, clothes and some other odds and ends, but I'd recommend you go to Mick and Ralphs's for that stuff." We walked down the street and she pointed down an intersection to the right. "Down there you'll find The Atomic Wrangler, the best casino in Freeside, but that ain't saying much. Also, there's the Silver Rush, they sell all kinds of cool looking energy weapons. They're a bit expensive though."

As we kept walking down, we passed a single hooker dancing with skimpy clothing on the sidewalk, screaming "Make a brief stop at The Atomic Wrangler where the booze is cheaper, the tables are friendly, and the woman are just like the booze!"

"Hell, now I can't wait to visit it." Daniel spewed, with an ironic tone.

Looking down the street you could see it end into another gate, the biggest one was the biggest so far. It was heavily fortified, with barriers, sandbags and platforms creating some kind of road block, and to top it all off, dozens of Securitrons patrolled the area, seemingly keep it secure from pass-less vagrants. Right behind it were all the casinos that light this city during the night. So that's were the actual Strip begins, huh?

"Soon" I told myself.

Finally, Yoka brought us to a corner building to the left of the street, and so far it was the most "Vegas" thing I've seen so far. On the corner of the structure was the entrance to it, where a large neon sign of a blue guitar went all the way to the top, and the words "The King" were written inside of the instrument, this time in red. Along the sides, below the windows, two instances of the phrase "The King's School of Impersonation." Shined with bright yellow lights along the letters.

"Well, isn't this subtle?" I told myself with a scoff. "I think I get why people call him The King."

"Don't make any jokes when we're in there Court, The King is respected by most here in Freeside." Daniel warned me as we approached the door. Two man in black jackets and grease haircuts, like the ones we saw outside the Eastern Gate, were talking to each other next to the door. Apart from their faces, they both looked exactly the same, and I couldn't decide whether that was funny or unsettling.

One of them noticed our approach and tapped his friend in the arm, who looked over at us, finally setting his eyes on Yoka. "Yoka? What a surprise! What are you doing here, baby-doll, you looking for a good time? Maybe I can show you how I swing, I think you're gonna like it." He laughed and high-fived his friend, waiting for Yoka's response.

"I've seen you swing before Jimmy, and it's exactly why you're out here and not inside, performin' for The King." Yoka replied, giving him a wink and walking past him. I wasn't sure what that meant, but it left Jimmy destroyed. He just stood there, slack-jawed as we walked into the building.

We were met with a reception room, with a large circular desk in middle and comfortable benches along the walls. The place had a poster in every possible wall and corner, most of which were old and worn out to the point of being nothing but a dirty piece of paper. But in some you could read words like "The King" above the picture of a man dressed like everyone else in this building. Yes, the place was filled with more greaser types in their jackets, white shirts and striped prison clothes.

I leaned next to Samantha, who was right next to me and whispered. "Who the hell are these guys again?"

She leaned in closer and replied. "They call themselves The Kings. Don't ask me about their story but what I do know is that they like to dress the same and most can are very good on the dance floor."

Off to the right corner of the room was a door with a king resting against the wall next to it. He had already caught wind of us when Yoka led our group to him. "Yoka, baby! What brings you here on this sunny day? Looking for some fun?"

"You wouldn't know fun if it kicked you in the chin, Pacer." This guy didn't take offense like the ones outside, and instead laughed. "You've always been fire, girl! I like that!" He glanced over her shoulder and lost his smile. "Who the hell are these stray dogs you picked up?"

I don't think I like this guy. He played suave when he talked to Yoka but addressed the rest of us with hostility. Yoka realized that and stepped between us and him. "They need to talk to The King, if you'd be so kind as to point us to him…"

"They wanna to talk to the big man, they gotta make it worth his time." He rubbed his thump along his fingers, making the universal sign for money.

"Unbelievable" I said, giving an ironic laugh. "I don't know who you are pal, but you sure as hell ain't The King, so if he wants to charge us for his time, than he can do that himself."

"No "pal", I won't bring him here cause The King does what he wants, and right now he wants to enjoy his show in peace." He said, pushing Yoka out of his way and throwing his chest against mine. So though guy wants to dance? I'll show him my moves.

But before I could do anything, the door behind Pacer was opened up, and I saw Yoka pulling a key from the keyhole. Pacer heard the door opening and turned around, and once he realized what had happened, he began patting his all of his pockets. "What, how the did- give that back!" he took the key from her hands and tried to close the door, but she stepped in his way and motioned us to come in.

In a hurry, the four of us made our way inside through the door, which led into a large room filled with tables turned to a stage in the back. The only people inside were a king in the prison shirt-jacket combo messing with a microphone on top of the stage, a guy sitting behind a bar on the corner of the room and another down on the tables, patiently looking at the stage. Wait scratch that, there was something else in the room, but it wasn't person, it was a… dog? The head down to it's right frontal leg looked just like normal dog, with fur and everything, but the rest was made of metal, like he was wearing some kind or armor, except it was clear that it was actually his body, not to mention that his forehead was glass dome filled with some transparent gel and a brain floating inside.

A cyberdog!

"Wait! Damn it!" Pacer called out, almost in a whisper. He refused to walk inside, like he was afraid to show his face, so he just turned around and let us be. We made our way to the king on the table, who was wearing a different set of outfit than the others, with white pants and white jacket, and a black shirt underneath. His attire wasn't the only distinctive feature, the man himself screamed "cool cat". He had slick eyes, a shapely mouth and for the first time in my life I could a call a chin beautiful. He had the same hair cut as everyone else, but his actually looked natural, which was almost physically impossible. He basically looked like a carbon copy of the man in the posters at the reception.

"Hey King, long time no see." Yoka told the man as we got to him.

He turned around and stood up, pleasantly surprised and stood up with open arms. "Ahyoka, my girl! Oh how I've missed you, I keep telling my friends to invite you to one of our shows if they ever run into you, but you never show up!" They wrapped up in a friendly hug, both happy to see each other. The cyberdog followed his owner and sat by his side, eyeing each and everyone of us. He left his tonge hanging out as analyzed the new visitors. I wanted to pet him so badly I almost forgot to greet the man we came to see.

"Maybe I'd come if boys didn' start the conversation by tryin' to hit on me." She replied.

"Hahah, you know how they are, just looking for some lovin'." He took notice of the extra presence and came to us with his hands in his pockets. There something to the way he moved and looked at us, it all felt so smooth and natural, but at the same time it was different, like he choreographed the whole thing, and we were looking at a character from some Old-World TV show. "So, you brought me visitors? Who do I have the pleasure of meeting here?"

Based on our earlier experiences with these kings, I expected this guy to full blown asshole, but seems like The King ain't so bad after all. "Hi, the name's Court. This here is Samantha and this other one is Daniel."

"Do you always charge people to see you? That must really drive newcomers away." Daniel joked without shame.

Samantha threw him a mean look, but The King actually laughed. "Hah, Pacer tried to get some caps from you four, didn't he? I'm sure Yoka didn't let him. You must forgive the boy, his heart belongs to The Kings and for that he ain't kind to outsiders. He's an old friend though, so treat him right."

"You tell me that every time when you know he deserves his teeth kicked in." Yoka said, laughing along. "Anyway, I brought these guys here 'cause they wanna meet The King."

"Is that all you came here for? Meet The King? No, I don't think so, you came over here to see if we're really as cool as people say." Me and my friends looked at each other, hoping someone knew how to answer that. "Well if you didn't you still get to see it anyway. Come, sit down, I'll have some drinks brought over."

"Thanks for the offer, but we're actually here on business." Dan explained. What a buzzkill, you don't simply get in the way of free drinks.

"Business you say?" the King questioned. "And what would that be?"

"Pretty simple," Dan crossed arms and walked closer to The King. "We need to get into The Strip, and if you can provide us with the passes, we'll take care of any work you need doing."

"Heh, I like your conviction. And lucky for you, I can get you passes, and I need some work done." The King snapped his fingers, and the guy behind the bar rushed beside him. They switched a few whispers and the barman ran to a back door and disappeared. "There's something I need people looking into, but I need to know it's someone I can trust, so hear me out. I need two small things taken care off before I put you on the big one. Take care of it all, and I'll make sure you three get into Vegas."

"Alright, what's the small fry?" I asked. The King sat back down on his chair and locked his eyes on the stage. "First, we've been having problems with some speakers we use on our performances. Most of them have been getting worse over the years. I've been planning on hiring someone to fix them, but I can see that the lady here is the mechanic type." He gave Samantha a wink.

"Oh, uh yeah, of course; but how did you know?" she asked.

Before the King answered, Daniel laughed and looked at her. "Are you kidding Sam? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You carry a wrench on your belt and no one can miss that tool bag on your waist."

"Oh, hahahah, right." She laughed, a little embarrassed. "Yeah I can fix your speakers, should be easy. I'd welcome some help though."

"That's good, leave someone with you while the other two take care of the second job." The King suggested.

But I contested. "Yoka just came here to show us the way, she doesn't really need to-"

"It's fine." Yoka interrupted. "I don't really have anything to do, so I'll be glad to come along."

"Okey…" I said slowly. If she wants to help I won't stop her, for as long as the other job ain't dangerous. "What else do you need done, then?"

Before he answered, the barman came back through the same way he left and brought The King a bag of caps. Instead of taking it, he nodded his head towards me, and the guy gave handed me the bag.

I took it with some surprise, weighing the thing. "Whoa, this quite a sum, what's it for?"

"Not for you, if you're wondering." The King laughed a little. "You might have noticed some bodyguards standing around the gates on your way in. It's good money if you can stay alive, Freeside ain't as safe as it used to be." He lamented to himself. "Thing is, some of my man have been telling me a fella by the name Orris has been making more money than usual, and anytime someone hires him, they don't wanna hire anyone else. I want you to find out why, more specifically, I want you to hire him. Play the innocent tourist and follow his lead."

Seemed simple enough. The wasteland is full of frauds, and Vegas must be no exception. I've done my fare share of uncovering jobs, but they don't always end as the employer expects. "And what if it turns out he's just that good?" I asked.

The King shrugged. "If nothing happens, so be it, but I don't think things will go so smoothly. Call it a hunch."

I turned to Yoka, who seemed unimpressed by the story. "Things might get a little hairy, I think it's best you sit this one out."

She smiled to me and took the bag of caps from my hand. "Shut yer mouth and let's get goin'. We got and escort to hire." Before I could react, she turned around and began leaving the building.

"Wait, hold on." I looked at Dan with a "Can you believe this?" look, with he replied with a shrug. Sam, on the other hand, was laughing and looked impressed with Yoka's attitude.

Lord, why do I only get the crazy ones?

We walked back the same way we came earlier, except we entered a different street and headed towards a different gate. This one was further north than the one we came in, and it also had more movement. Street vendors littered sidewalks, most selling food and drinks to the tourists.

"Again, you don't need to be doing this. I can handle it on my own." I told Yoka for what must have been the fifth time.

She rolled her eyes and looked at me with like I was the most boring person in the wasteland. "My God Court, you're no fun! Does it even occur to you that I'm here because I want to be here, and not because you need help?"

"Sure it did," I lied. "It's just that, like I said before, this could get dangerous. It might be more than what a stable girl could handle."

She stopped on her tracks and turned to look at me. With a pair of cold, dead eyes, she stared deep down my soul, bringing a hard chill down my spine. "Look cowboy, you don't get to tell me what I can or cannot handle. Now I suggest you shush yourself and focus on the damn job, cause right now? You're a little bit too focused on me."

With that, she kept on going, leaving me behind with a face of disbelief. That was… that was quite something. I wasn't even thinking about what she told me, my brain was too busy remembering her eyes. Those grey pupils, they were so cold, so unmoving, so unsettling. It reminds of people I've seen many times before. They're usually not good people.

Before I could question this woman for longer, we brought our attention to a group of tough looking man and woman in front of the gate, each doing something different like playing cards, eating food or displaying their weapons and armor to the crowd of newcomers. There weren't all that many tourist, but every minute or so a new group of people entered the city.

"The streets of Freeside are dangerous folks, but lucky for you, I'm ready to take you safely to The Strip, and for an affordable price." A tall man in leather armor shouted to a new group of strangers. Ahyoka and I approached the bodyguards, and the same man came to us as quickly as he could. "Hello there, sir and madam, are you looking for toughest escort in Vegas? Well, you just found him."

"Shut up Evan, you couldn't squash a radroach with sledgehammer, because you wouldn't even lift the hammer in the first place!" a buffy woman in combat armor mocked him, and every merc fell into a long, loud laugh. Once they were done, I stepped forwards and spoke loudly enough for all of them to hear. "Sorry, but we're actually looking for Orris. We hear he's the best bodyguard around."

Everyone suddenly went silent. Their laughs turned into frowns and they all looked to a bearded man with black messy hair, dressed in full metal armor, complete with spikes on the shoulder pads and knuckles. On his hip he rocked a huge .45-70 gov't Hunting Revolver, a sidearm powerful enough to blow heads in half. He was finishing a squirrel on stick before throwing in on the floor and slowly making his way to us. The closer he got the more I realized how big he was! He was a head taller than me and his muscles might have been thicker than bone. Hell, his bicep must be larger than my skull.

"I'm Orris," he said with a thick and emotionless voice. "and as my reputation precedes me, I'm the best escort you'll ever find in this town. Anyone wanna contest that?" he looked around at the other bodyguards, and no one made a single sound. "That's what I thought. My protection will cost you three hundred, not a cap less, and I have a few ground rules: I'll take you directly to The Strip gate and nowhere else, follow my every lead, listen to what I tell you and don't stray off. If you go sightseeing I'll go find another costumer. Got it all?"

"Yep, just get us to The Strip safely." Yoka said, handing him the bag of caps. All of those rules made me a bit suspicious. They were probably there to make his job easier, but still… something smelled bad here.

Once he was done counting the caps, he had us follow him back down the road, and we passed the same places we did when going to The King. He gave us quick summaries of certain land marks, but nothing Yoka hadn't told me already. When we passed Fort Mormon, he explained how we could get patched up in there, but he made sure to point out that he never needed it. He also warned us not to mess with The Kings when we went by their building.

Finally, we were just a few blocks from The Strip's gate, when Orris told us to stop. "Hold." He pointed down the street. "I don't like the look of those guys, let's take a detour." He then quickly bolted off to the left, heading into a less busy street. The two of us tried to keep pace, barely noticing the five man group of dirty thugs with pool cues and spiked baseball bats standing between us and the gate.

"Come on, we gotta go around them, quickly." Orris shouted as he put some distance between us. For a big guy with heavy armor, he could really run. What was the hurry? Even if we did circle this block, we'd just end up back on the same street as before, and we'd be even closer to the thugs. In the distance, Orris turned the corner behind a building ahead of us, when suddenly:

 **BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG***

Four loud shots echoed through the city, coming from the corner Orris just turned. Yoka and I dashed as fast we could toward it, coming to a rather bloddy scene. The five thugs we saw earlier were all laying on the ground, blood splattered on their chests and on the floor. "Thought you could get the drop on us, huh?" Orris mocked the dead bodies, spinning his revolver in his hand. "Imagine what would have happened if hadn't hired me. You guys made the right choice. Let's get going, we're almost at the gate." He began walking at quick pace, but stopped once he realized we hadn't moved.

"Yoka, something's not right here." I whispered to her, and she threw me a "no shit" look. She walked to the nearest body and crouched next to it, passing her fingers on it's chest and inspecting the blood and the wound "Huh, interesting'."

"Hey lady, what do you think you're doing?" Orris complained, walking back to join us. Yoka stood up and shook her head, laughing. "These guys are really good at holdin' their breaths, but it only takes a good eye and some medical expertise to know they ain't dead."

"What the hell are you talking about? You two saw me kill them all!" Orris shouted, getting angry rather quickly.

"We didn't see shit Orris, you left us behind, almost like you knew they'd be here. But we did hear what happened. Kinda strange how took five guys down but I only heard four shots." Yoka said, taking away all the confidence the bodyguard once had. I slapped my own head for not noticing that detail.

The big guy lost his composure, staggering as he talked. "Oh – er, noticed that did you? I – er, keenly aimed one of the shots through some soft tissue of one of them to hit the guy behind him."

Yoka and I looked at each other in silence, before losing it and laughing loudly enough to scare a mutated rat off a trashcan down an alley. The funniest part was how confident he attempted to sound when spilling that lie. "Is that so?" I asked. "So these guys really are dead." I said, trying to play the fool. I pulled my Peacemaker from it's holster and walked to one of the bodies, and aimed it straight at it's head.

"What are you doing?!" Orris asked, trying to control a sudden panic. I looked at him with a mocking expression. "What? It's just a dead body, you wouldn't mind if I did **this!** "

I'm no cold-blooded killer, at least I try not to be, so I pulled my aim forward at the last second, hitting the road right next to the body.

"OH JESUS FUCK! SCREW THIS, I'M OUT!" the so called "body" screamed as he stood up and dashed away from everyone. The other four "corpses" began standing up, each grabbing their weapons from the ground.

"Kill these two, or nobody's getting paid!" Orris shouted, loading rounds into his revolver, and this time I had a feeling they weren't blanks.

V.A.T.S. kicked in, and I quickly marked each thug. Two headshots in the two closest to me, and a body shot to the remaining ones. After that I turned to Orris, who had already finished loading his gun, and was aiming it at me. I'd have to be fast on this last shot, or else Orris would definitely get me. Maybe if I pull my left shoulder back, I'll increase the chance that he would miss-

 ***BANG***

Orris fell to the ground with a hole right in the middle of his forehead.

"You're pretty quick with a revolver, cowboy." Yoka complimented, walking by my side with a smoking H&K USP45 semi-automatic pistol in her hand. "But not fast enough."

"Since when do you have a gun?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I don't remember seeing her leave the house with one, and I'm often good at noticing this kind of stuff.

"Since you've met me," she said, tucking the gun under her shirt and behind her back, the same place I keep my M1911A1. "I just try keep it out sight."

True to her word, the gun was small enough for her shirt to cover it completely, and she wore it in a way that the her clothes would never press against it, making it completely undetectable, at least by the eye. Interesting.

I reloaded my Peacemaker as I stared at Yoka with disbelief. It's amazing how power can change your view of person. A second ago I though she was just a stable girl who wouldn't know how to shoot a sarsaparilla bottle off a fence, and now I'm looking at a dead center headshot. Teaches me to teach a book by it's cover. "That was a really good shot. Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

"I love horses, but they can be pretty boring unless you're taking them for a ride. Target practice is a fun pass time." She smiled innocently and crossed the battlefield, towards Orris's corpse.

Right, I'm not the brightest person in this world (that award goes to Jason Bright) but I didn't believe that for a second. I know a lot about guns, about shooting stances and about weapon skills. The USP45, the way she held it, her pinpoint accuracy, it all screamed professional training.

She took Orris's Ranger Sequoia and held it by the barrel, offering me the grip. "You wanna keep this little thing, cowboy?"

I shook my head, refusing it. "The recoil on that gun is atrocious, no thanks." She just shrugged and stored the revolver. "More for me."

"Oh hey, you guys are back!" Samantha gave us a warm greeting when we walked into the theater room. Daniel and her both had a glass of whiskey in their hands, and were watching The King, who was on top of the stage. We took a seat on that table and joined to watch whatever The King was doing.

"One, two, ah one and two and three! Oh yeah baby!" his voice boomed through speakers that were spread all around the room. "That's some fine work you did here, little Sam." He jumped of the stage and snapped his fingers. The barman brought a bottle of whiskey to our table and served a glass for the three of us who just sat down. "So, how did go down with Orris?"

"The guy was fraud. He faked attacks and used tricks to make him look like a one man army." I explained to the King.

"So that's how it happens… Ok, then. I'll have some guys pull him off the street when no one's looking." The King said.

Yoka gave me a quick glance and turned back to him. "About that… Orris didn't react well when we ruined his little show."

"I see. Well, you two did what you had to do, and it was quite a favor." He raised his glass in the air "A toast, to my new friends."

"And a toast to The King of New Vegas!" Samantha said enthusiastically as we tapped glasses and chugged our drinks. She seemed a little too happy to be here.

"Thanks for the praise baby doll, but I'm not the king of Vegas. I'm not even the king of Freeside." The man said when he finished his drink.

"What do you mean? You wouldn't get the tittle unless you were the king of something, right?" she asked him.

The King smiled softly. "Well I might be the king of dancing, and may be the king of singing. And I know for sure that I'm the king of rock n' roll. That's why I get that name, not because I own land or people, or even a lot of money. No, I don't own any of these things, I'm just the leader of a simple gang. It is the coolest gang in the Mojave, but it's just that." The King shifted in his chair and snapped his finger. As he talked the barman poured more whiskey for everyone. "Every man is king of his own castle, be it his home, his family, his friends or even just his own life. But the point is that I'll never control people like a king would. Real monarchs are evil tyrants, like the red asshole across the Colorado River." He was talking about Caesar. As you might imagine, he isn't popular in this side of the Mojave.

"You ain't nothin like him, King. We all know that." Yoka comforted him, wrapping her hand around his arm.

"I know that baby doll. I know that because I actually help people, and you four are gonna be helping them too."

"Is this the big thing you mentioned earlier?" Daniel asked, finishing his drink in a large gulp.

"That's right, now listen to a story before I send you out there. Freeside has always been my home, and the people here are very proud, and I call the that to avoid calling them stubborn. They'll never admit that, but I will. Even then, I still love the friends and family I've made here either way. Yoka for example, has been a friend since childhood, I don't know what I'd do if I lost her." The two traded a soft smile.

"Is Yoka in danger?" Sam asked, sounding very worried. The woman in question laughed a bit and shook her head. "I can take care of myself, darlin'." Funny how I wouldn't have believed that about an hour ago.

The King kept on explaining. "Yoka and her family are NCR citizens who moved here when… well, the Legion happened. They've took a new home in Freeside like many other refugees, something the folk born here in Freeside didn't take too kindly."

Daniel leaned into the conversation. "Fights between locals and NCR refugees are daily news around here, more now than ever. At least that's what Waya told me."

The King nodded, confirming the info Dan just shared. "You're right, things have been heating up recently, and I want you to help me find out why."

"What do you suggest? We've got to start somewhere." Samantha pointed out.

"Recently, two friends of mine were attacked, and you can start by figuring out who did it. Word is that they just woke up at the old Mormon Fort. Go have a talk with them and come back with what you find."

Seems like this will be out good deed of the day. I'll admit, I'm not too happy about being sidetracked again. I just hoping this work will be worth the passes to Freeside. Maybe the King would have given me something easier if I were alone, but with Daniel and Sam along… no, I shouldn't think that. Fuck it, let's just get it over with.

"We'll get on that." I assured him. Everyone finished their drinks and got up from their chairs. As we were about to leave, I took one last glance at the King. I wasn't fully on board of his "save Freeside" thing. Maybe he truly is a nice guy, but the world is in a shortage of those.

The guards opened up the large wooden gates of Mormon Fort once we approached them. It's funny to think that something that was already old before the bombs dropped can still be left standing after all these centuries, suffering from harsh weather to radiation exposure and worst of all, human occupation. Despite all that, the fort's structures looked sturdy enough, like they'd stand for a couple of centuries more.

"Welcome to Mormon Fort," one of the guards welcomed us when we passed the gates. "If you need any medical assistance, talk to one of the doctors. Just look for any nerd in a lab coat."

"Wow, this place is pretty neat." Sam commented , looking around the walls. "Wonder how they managed to set this all up."

"The Followers are well known for their ingenuity." Yoka added. "I guess that's to be expected from a bunch of eggheads. And I don't mean that in the rude way, God bless the Followers and their intelligence. They've been of great help to the people here."

If there's one group I don't trust, are the Followers. These guys claim to do what they do for nothing but the good of the people. Right… again, I don't believe in such a thing. I bet they experiment on their patients or something.

We walked straight into a large courtyard, where several medical tents had been set up. Running about were multiple "nerds in lab coats", each carrying medical related stuff like scalpels, stimpaks, RadAway and so on. As one of the doctors crossed the yard in a hurry, I took a hold of his arm to stop him. "Excuse me, but I need to find Roy and Wayne. I was told they were beaten but have recovered here."

"I don't know any patients of that name," he replied in a hurry, fighting against my grip. "But we keep recovered patients over in those tents to the right." He said, pointing. I let go of him and he dashed to where ever he was going.

"Alright, let's look for them."

We walked into the closest tent, where a bald and white bearded old man and a dark-skinned young adult sat in chairs beside a teenager, who was laying on a bed. The boy was sleeping or out cold, as he looked very weak and tired. The bandage wrapped around his forehead was almost completely soaked in blood, and his left eye was bloated and purple. The old man had a gauze on his cheek, but otherwise looked fine, while the other man looked pretty beaten up, with stitched cut on his left cheek, a bruise on his forehead and a broken arm wrapped in bandages. The old man was the first to address us. "May I help you?" he asked with a suspicious tone.

"Sorry to bother you," Daniel apologized. "but we're looking for Roy and Wayne."

The dark skinned man stepped up with a stern pose and confronted us. "Yeah, you just found them, and I don't know what you want but we'd rather be left alone."

"Settle down Wayne." The old man told him. "I'm sorry, but we both had a rough night."

"We understand sir," Samantha joined in. "But we're sent here by The King to look into your attack."

"The King?" he said, surprised. "That makes things different then. I'm Roy and that there is Wayne. The boy in the bed here is Manny.." Roy pointed to a couple of chairs around the tent. "Sit down and I'll help you in anyway I can. I wanna see the bastards who did this pay." He looked at his friend Manny with a worried look.

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked, more as a formality than an actual concern. I know the boy is going to be fine, his wounds might have looked bad, but they were just superficial.

He nodded and patted his friends leg. "Yeah he's gonna be fine. Still, kid didn't deserve the beating he got."

Ahyoka stepped up to the old man and shared a compassionate look. "I'm sorry about what happened, and we would be grateful if you told us everythin' you know."

"Alright, here's our story." He began, leaning in his chair. "We received a couple of caps from some scrap we traded in, and were looking to spend it wisely. As we were leaving the Atomic Wrangler, we must have taken the wrong turn and ended up in the Squatter side of town."

Wayne jumped into the conversation. "From out of nowhere, these big guys show up and start barking questions at us. Wanted to know if we were locals."

Roy took the conversation back and pointed at Manny with his thumb. "The kid here is as proud as a local gets, and started yelling back at them. Then all hell broke lose." He looked down at the boy in the bed and sighed. "He got the worst of it."

"Do you remember anything about the people who attacked you?" Yoka asked.

"They were big guys. Young too. No old geezers like me." He let out a short and sad laugh. "Hell, none of them looked half my age. Thing is, I was mostly face down in the dirt, begging for my life when it happened, so I only got a quick look at them. But Wayne here saw more than I did."

"That I did," Wayne confirmed. "They were better dressed than most Freesiders, does that help?"

"Every bit helps." Daniel commented. "But we need more. What else do you remember?"

Wayne closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "Urgh, damn it, I don't know, it all happened so fast." Roy put his hand on Wayne's shoulder and turned to us. "Wayne here got beat pretty bad, you must forgive him."

"Wait, I remembered something!" Wayne shouted, startling the kid in bed, who just let out a long and soft groan. "I might have heard one of the guys that attacked us call the other by name. We just about had it when one of them said "Hey Lou, we gotta go"!"

I turned to my friends and asked. "You guys know anyone called Lou?" All of them shook their heads in denial.

"At least I think he said Lou," Wayne added. "It might- it might have been something else… now that I think of it, he said Lou-something. Something with a T… Tenant, that's it! He called him Lou Tenant!"

Lou Tenant? That's a weird name, but it sounded familiar. Now where had I heard of this guy before? Wait a minute!

"I think he meant Lieutenant, Wayne." Roy said, trying to hold his embarrassment. "Sorry, the kid means well but sometime he's as dumb as a rock." I felt a little ashamed of myself for taking a little too long to figure that out too.

"An army rank huh?" Yoka asked herself. "I'd expect this from NCR citizens but not from military personnel. What are they doing here in Freeside?"

"I don't know, but we probably going to find out." Daniel replied. "Let's get back to The King and tell him what we found out."

Before we left Sam turned to the Freesiders and waved. "Bye, thank you for your help. Have a nice recovery!"

"Interesting." The King said, petting Rex the Cyberdog. "A buncha soldiers boys huh? They usually don't come around these parts since they have free entrance to The Strip" Is that so? Huh, maybe being an NCR soldier wasn't that bad after all… actually, no, being an NCR soldier still sounds horrible, with the Legion being so close.

"They've gotta be coming here for a reason." Daniel pointed out. "I just don't see why. They definitely have better things to do than harass locals."

"You're right, there's something else goin' on here, and we gotta find out what." Yoka added.

The King nodded. "Right, and you four will do just that, but first…" He got up from the table and walked towards the bar. The barman was nowhere to found, so he walked around the counter and pulled up five plates, before taking a box of Fancy Lad's Snack Cakes. "Here, this should get your spirits up. Its like my mama used to tell me, ain't nothing like a full belly to help get a job done right."

We all thanked The King and dug into the sugary cakes, so full of chemicals and artificial flavoring they probably looked and tasted the same as they did before the Great War. After two cakes I was feeling satisfied and ready for action.

"Ok, so what's next?" Sam asked The King before letting a short burp and covering her mouth, embarrassed.

"You should probably look around the Squatter side of town, where these NCR folk usually hang around. Dig those boys out of their holes." The King advised, putting the plates away.

"Sounds like a plan" Daniel told him. "It might take us a while though, Freeside ain't exactly a small place."

"Then you might wanna nose around Old Mormon Fort again, talk to Julie Farkas. She's a doc there and the Followers tend to know about a thing or two happening in Freeside." The King walked out off the bar and made his way towards the back door, his cyberdog Rex following him. Without looking back, he shouted. "Just don't ask her what to do about it, she'd probably ask you to hug somebody or something."

We decided to split up again, this time Ahyoka and Samantha went to scout the Squatter side of town while Daniel and I decided to chat up this Julie Farkas. Dan and I weren't all that excited about leaving the girls alone in a dangerous part of town, but they just laughed and told us they could take care of themselves better than we could take care of them, which might have been more true than I cared to admit.

Back in the Old Mormon Fort, we asked around for the woman until someone pointed us to her. We found the doctor in a tent towards the far back, where she was too busy writing things down into a notepad to notice us.

"Excuse me?" She jumped and let out a short girlish scream, turning around to face us. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to startle you." I apologized. "May we come in?

"Are you here to drop off medical supplies?" she asked, with a hopeful expression. I looked at Dan, who just shrugged and shook his head. "Uhh, no I don't know of any medical supplies."

All hope fell of her face, giving her a sad and disappointed look. "I see. We're in dire need of more medical supplies, things are getting really hard with the increased fighting between locals and NCR."

"Actually," Dan stepped into the tent. "I believe you can help us with that. Do you know anything about the NCR here in Freeside?"

"Only a little." She answered. "A friend of mine, Major Elizabeth Kieran, has been handing out supplies to the poor a little west of here. What about it?" I know The King warned us about telling her anything, but… "We have reason to believe that these troops have been attacking locals."

She looked thoughtful for a second before talking. "I know something's got them riled up, but I've been too busy with... well… all this to really look into it." She said, pointing to the outside of the tent, where I could see a hurt local being carried across the courtyard. "If you're looking into the matter, talk to Elizabeth. She's in charge of the operation here in Freeside, though she won't open up to you right away. If she holds out on you, tell her I sent you, she should be a little more forthcoming when you mention my name."

"Alright, thanks doc, you've been of great help." I was about to turn around when she called. "Wait, what do you aim to do with all the information I just gave you?" I didn't quite understand the question. I thought it was obvious that we were going to talk to this Major Elizabeth. "I mean how do you plan on ending this situation."

"We're not gonna end it in a bloodbath if that's what you're asking doctor." Daniel explained. "That's not what we do." I wish I could say the same, but after Boulder City, I asked myself if I could really end things without violence. I sure as hell wanted to, but the world doesn't always work in favor of peace.

"Good, I want to believe that." She added. "I wouldn't be wrong in assuming that The King sent you here, would I? He always jumps into any fire that catches onto Freeside." she asked.

"Maybe" I simply answered. "What matters is that someone is finally trying to put that fire out."

And I thought Freeside already looked bad enough. The intact but decayed buildings only got worse the further we went into the squatter side of town. Some of them had even collapsed and are now a pile of ruble spread across the ground. The two pairs agreed to meet in a open park between blocks in the middle of squatter territory, so Dan and I were heading down to the point of rendezvous.

Daniel was telling me about how he came to meet Waya, Ahyoka's dad. He told me he was the one escorted them across the Colorado and into NCR territory. Yoka and her brother (who we haven't met yet) were nothing more than kids when that happened, and they had been through a lot. I remember that The King mentioned she was a refugee, who ran away from The Legion. I kept wondering where she was from, but decided to save that question for her.

"On that topic, I had some questions about Yoka." I told my ghoulish friend.

"Really?" he asked, with what was left of one of his eyebrows higher than the other. "Caught your interest, did she?"

"Not in the way you're thinking, you slimy bastard." I responded. "It's just that… she did really well handling that job with the escort the Kings sent us to deal with. The girl seems like a natural when it comes to shooting. Do you have any idea where she learned it?"

"Hum…" He wondered. "You know, I'm not sure. I heard her people were really good fighters, so maybe she learned from her childhood? Or perhaps it's just in her blood."

Her people? As I suspected, it seems like Waya and his family really are tribals. Not that I have anything against it, it's just that most of the times you run into a tribe around the wastes, it's a fifty-fifty chance they are gonna shoot you or not.

Dan thought for a little longer before continuing. "Or maybe… before moving to Freeside, the family lived on a farm, further west. I'd visit them from time to time, and most of the times, Yoka was out of town, selling their produce across the NCR with a caravan. Maybe she learned during her trips."

"Maybe…" I said, unconvinced. There was definitely more to her than that, I just couldn't think of what. I don't know why I was so interested in her past, or her shooting skills. I guess I don't like being kept in the dark. It is the second reason for me to be here, trying to get in The Strip. Getting my revenge is just part of the fun. I want to know why I almost died in the first place.

I wanted to question Daniel more about the mystery girl, but as we walked down a street towards the park, two people ran around a corner ahead of us. Dan and I reached for our sidearms, but stopped once we realized they were Sam and Yoka.

"Here they come!" Sam shouted, Gabriel the shotgun in hand and aiming at the corner. Yoka had her USP45 out and ready to fire.

"Girls, whats goin-" I stopped talking when three squatters rounded the same corner, with melee weapons in hands and the intension to use them.

"There they – shit!" the squatter in front squealed and quickly dropped his pool club on the floor. He and his friends were now looking down at the barrels of two very mean guns and two very angry woman.

"Thought you could get the drop on us, huh?" Sam asked, pointing Gabriel closer to the squatter's face. She gave a quick motion towards the ground, telling the would-be-thugs to get on the ground.

The three man got on their knees and placed their hands behind their heads. "Alright, you got us. Now how about you let us go and we pretend none of this happened?"

Dan and I walked over to their side, guns on the thugs. "Who the hell are these guys?" I asked.

"A bunch of no-good bullies, who were waiting just around an alleyway to jump on us." Samantha explained. "Thankfully, Yoka here has some crazy eagle vision. She saw one of them peek from almost a mile away."

Yoka did a little shrug. "Then I just figured they'd chase us after we legged, so I suggested we set up an ambush, and you guys know the rest."

"I'm guessing there isn't any sort of local authority we can turn them into, right?" I asked them. Usually, when a crime is committed in any wild and lawless part of the Wasteland, things are settled in blood. But now that we have these guys on their knees… I honestly don't know what to do.

"I guess… that they've learned their lesson and will never attack innocent people again?" Samantha pondered. Sadly, no one believed that to be the case, but the squatters looked hopeful.

"Ha, that's cute." Yoka said, and I don't if she was being serious or not. She seemed to find Sam's slight innocence amusing. "But these three will just rob and kill the next unlucky souls to pass through here. I should just bleed 'em dry right here, right now."

Now the thugs were just scared shitless, mainly after Yoka turned to them with her cold grey eyes. "He-hey now, there ain't not need to do this, we-we just gonna hop back to our alley and-and settle down, ya know, we'll like, get a job or something. We ain't gonna hurt no one else, we-we promises!"

Dan sighed and crossed his arms. He looked very conflicted about this. "Yoka is right, these guys will just go back to hurting people…" He said that like it hurt him to do so. "But we can't kill them in cold blood like this."

"So what do you expect us to do?" Yoka asked. "If you can't do it, let me. You three won't even need to see it." We all stared at her, all of us shocked at her suggestion. "What?" she complained.

How cold is this woman? What kind of person makes a suggestion like that?

"Yoka… you can't be serious… right?" Sam asked her, seemingly scared of the answer.

Instead of responding, she looked straight at me, like a snake who just found a juicy rat. "Well Court, what do you reckon we do 'bout these three?"

I eyed the squatters, who were all to scared to move, since Yoka still had her pistol to their heads. But in their eyes, I could see fear. It wasn't there a few minutes ago, but they must have realized that Yoka was serious.

I can't just kill unarmed people on their knees… I mean, I guess I could-

No! I can't. It wouldn't be right. It'd just make me the same kind of man that Benny was. Despite not wanting to compare myself to these bastards, if there's someone who knows the position these man are in, it's me.

"We ain't killing nobody." I finally said, which instantly calmed Daniel and Samantha down. The squatters were almost starting a party.

Yoka on the other hand, was rather disappointed, not to say a little angry. "I'm sorry Court, but these guys live just a couple of blocks from me. I can't let them go."

"We ain't just letting the off the hook though." Everyone stopped to listen to what I have to say. I turned to Daniel. "You said the King is the most influential man here in Freeside, right? Well, take these guys to him. He'll know how to deal with them. He was the one who said he cares the people of this town, isn't he?"

"That… might actually be a good idea." Dan admitted. He pulled his battle rifle and circled the thugs. Pushing the gun against their backs, he got them on their feet. "You three keep going with the plan. I'll see you back in the school."

"Yoka and I saw people constantly move in and out of a building just a block from here." Samantha told us, pulling our heads back in the game. "There were two big guys who seemed to be keeping watch on the outside."

"Let's go check it out, it's probably the place Julie mentioned." On the way there, I explained to the girls what Julie had told us.

Hiding behind a car, we scouted the building, and just like the two described, two though looking fellas stood on both side of the door with their arms crossed. If they were really NCR I was willing to bet they had at least a pistol hiding somewhere. As we watched, a group of people left the building with plastic bags with some items inside.

"How should we approach this?" I asked them, looking for suggestions. We all remained silent for a while. Seems like no one wanted to take that risk.

I finally decided to break his silence. "I'll just go down there and figure something out. You two hold here."

"I'm comin' too." Yoka jumped over the car, and began making her way to the guards. I gave Sam an annoyed shrug and followed.

"Why do you wanna come along?"

"I am an NCR citizen remember? I'm technically allowed get in there." She said right before we reached the guards.

"Halt!" one of them said, stepping in front of us. "What's your business here?"

"We heard they're giving food to citizens of the NCR in here."

The guards shared a glance before turning back to me. "Alright, but we gotta make sure you're NCR first."

Alright, time to play the convincing game. "I'm sure that's not necessary soldier, the two of you must have served for long enough to recognize two fellow citizens of the Republic, am I right?"

"Humn…" the guard said, looking pretty convinced. "I guess you're right, you two look like Shady Sand types." When I thought success was at hand, the other guard stepped up and punched his friend in the arm. "Are you serious? You know our orders, we are can't allow anyone who didn't answer the questions correctly inside. Give them the test!"

Damn it, so close. "Alright what's the test about?" I asked them.

"It's just a couple of questions any NCR citizen would be able to answer." The first guy explained. "Here we go, first question: Who is the current President of the New California Republic?"

Ha, that one was easy. People just wouldn't shut up about this guy, since he's to blame for the NCR's expansion policy, other than the multiple accusations of corruption. "President Kimball is the answer."

"Alright, that one was easy. Now for another simple one: What animal is represented in the flag of the New California Republic?" An even easier one. "A two-headed bear." Fun (and sad) fact, the species of bear on the flag is actually extinct, but the bombs had nothing to do with it; humans killed them years before the Great War.

"Good, now for tougher question: What is the birth town of the New California Republic?" That one wasn't really any harder, the guard himself mentioned the answer a few seconds ago. "Shady Sands." I told the guard, who seemed more convinced of my citizenship.

"Now answer this one: when did the Battle of Hoover Dam take place?" Ok that one had me thinking a little. It happened four years ago so if we're in 2281 it happened-

"March 17th of 2277." Yoka was faster, and answered that question.

"Nicely done, last question: who was the most popular President of the New California Republic?" Now that one I had no idea. I knew Kimball sure as shit wasn't, but that's as far as my political knowledge of the NCR went.

Thankfully, Yoka had my back. "Easy, that's President Tandi."

"That's it, you two are clear to head in. Get in line and wait your turn to get food and water. And respect the other citizens, we do not tolerate troublemakers." They opened the door for us, and we walked in.

The building was a small grocery store with a counter set up from one wall to the other. The place was pretty crowded, with four different lines of people being served by several man and woman. A couple of guards like the ones outside stood watch around the room. Yoka and I hugged the wall and walked up to a middle-aged woman with her honey colored hair tied into a bun, serving a couple of citizens.

"Here you go, come back when you need more." She handed them a bag with some food and water, and they left. When the woman noticed our approach, she addressed us. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait in line like everyone else."

"That's not what we're here for." I told her. "We need to talk to Major Elizabeth."

She raised her head and assumed that authoritarian pose high ranking officers often take. "I am Major Elizabeth Kieran, who are you and what do need me for?"

"My name is Court and this here is Yoka. We're looking into the conflicts between NCR citizens and Freeside locals. Would you happen to know why they fight so much?" I asked her, keeping my voice low enough for only the three of us to hear.

"You must be new around town right?" Major Kieran asked, crossing her arms. I has hesitant, but I gave her a little nod. "Some freesiders know of the supplies we give out to NCR citizens, and these people get jealous we don't give out to them either."

"And why don't you give food and water to the locals? They need it as much as the everyone in here." Yoka protested.

The Major stepped up and locked an angry stare towards Yoka. "Well if the locals wanted the supplies so bad, then maybe they shouldn't have beaten our convoy to near death."

"Hold on a second," I called out. "What convoy?"

The Major leaned forward, looking a little suspicious of us. "I'm getting a feeling you two are not NCR. Why are you two here."

Now was the time to lay our wild card on the table and keep the game going. "We're looking to solve the problems between the two groups here, and Julie Farkas told us you could help."

The Major backed down, looking a little more relaxed. "Julie sent you? Huh, that makes things different. Alright, if you want to know why we refuse to help the locals, I'll tell you why. About two weeks ago, we sent an envoy to The King, offering to coordinate a relief effort for NCR citizens and freesiders alike."

"Something happened to the envoy, didn't it?" I asked, assuming the worst.

"That's right," The Major confirmed. "Like I told you before, they returned to us, beaten half to death, telling us that the King's man did it."

"No, that's not possible." Yoka cried out. "I know The King, he wouldn't do something like this." I've only met the guy for less than a day, but so far he doesn't look like the type to something like that either. But then again, I've been wrong about people before.

"Tell that to my guys. It was only through a lot of hard effort and insistence that I got to carry the relief effort despite the attack, but now with less fudging and support. We wouldn't be capable of feeding all of Freeside even if we wanted to." The Major told us, with some anger in her. I don't blame her for what she's doing, she raised her hand to The Kings and Freeside, but all they did was spit on it. Thing is, this story doesn't change much, all it does is add fuel to the fire. What we need to do is find out what started it, and it all points back to The Kings.

"Thank you for the help, but we'll be on our way." I told the Major. She pointed her finger at me and gave me a threatening look. "You tell anyone but NCR about this place and I'll make you a public enemy of the government you hear me?" I was taken back by the threat, but as soon as she was done, she lowered her finger and her expression turned soft. "But if truly mean to stop the fighting, then I'll be in your dept. Remember that."

"Sure will Major." With that, Yoka and I left through the door and made our across the block, meeting with Sam where we left her.

"So, how did it go?" Samantha looked eager to hear what we had to say. We told her the whole story, and the she heard it all with wide eyes.

"That doesn't look like The King! He seemed so nice!" Sam cried out and looked at Yoka. "You know him well don't you? Would he do something like that?"

Yoka shook her head. "No, he wouldn't. Unless he went crazy over the years, but The King never refused the chance to help the community, and he sure as hell wouldn't beat up an envoy." There was something we weren't seeing here, a missing piece of the puzzle.

"No use standing around, let's bring our findings to The King. If you're right about who he is, he ain't gonna be happy." I told everyone, and we parted off back to The King's School of Impersonation.


	21. Chapter 21: Suspicious Minds

Chapter 21: Suspicious Minds

Me and the girls soon arrived at the reception of the School of Impersonation, eager to tell The King the news. The room looked empty at first, but before I could reach the door that leads to the stage room, a certain king walked in the way between me and my goal.

"Hey there pal, how's it goin'?" Pacer, the same guy that tried to take a buck from us earlier approached me with a suspiciously friendly face. "I hear you've been going around town, doing some good stuff for us. That's good, we appreciate the help."

"Ok… yeah my pleasure." This was nothing like the guy we've met earlier, so I was a little on edge.

"Listen," Pacer said. "The Kings do their best around Freeside, and no one can get shit done like we can. So it's inevitable that we've made enemies over the years, you dig?"

Yoka walked to my side and crossed her arms, confronting him. "Where do you wanna go with this Pacer?

"I'm just sayin' some people might say crap about us!" he suddenly sparked, louder than he meant to be. Backing of a few steps, he calmed himself down and shoved his hands into is pockets. "Matter of fact, I hear some old NCR hag has been spreading lies about something we did."

Well ain't that convenient? I think we just the found the missing piece of the puzzle. With a dumb smile, I played around with my next words. "Well shit, I bet The King would loooove to know what they're saying about him."

Pacer looked like was knocked back by a punch. "Uh, sure bu- but make sure he knows they are lies, we wouldn't want him to get the wrong picture here, right?" he muttered. If Pacer was as good of a liar as he was an asshole, maybe he would have fooled me. At least we now have a suspect.

"Right, of course not." I patted him on the shoulder and made my way to the theater. "Come on guys, we've got some news for The King." After my friends joined me, I heard a faint "Damn it" from the corner of my ears.

Seems like The King loves this theater, because I've never seen him anywhere else.

He and Daniel sat together on a table as they engaged in a friendly conversation. Dan was the first to see us arrive and pointed at me to draw the other's attention. The King scooched over with his chair to make space for the rest of us, and I had to grab a seat from another table before sitting down.

"So, how did it go with the squatters?" I asked both man as I pulled up my chair.

Daniel took a faint smile and leaned forward "The King got them on watch upstairs. He'll try to recruit them into their gang and teach them some manners."

"And if they refuse," The King continued. "They'll be given a nice warning and be put on watch. If we ever see those three causing trouble again, they'll regret it." He looked confident that he'd be able to deal with the criminals we brought him, which had me ease up a bit.

"It ain't ideal," Yoka commented. "but I guess it's something." She still sounded disappointed. This woman was really giving me the chills. Truth is, I was starting to feel uncomfortable around her, like she could turn into a radscorpion at any second now.

"So, you find out anything about the soldier boys?" The King finally asked.

"Get yourself another drink ol' friend, cause we got ya a mighty tale." Yoka suggested, suddenly forgetting the whole squatter ordeal.

Instead of following Yoka's advice, The King leaned in his chair, looking a little worried. Rex must have picked up on it, because he started rubbing his head against The King's leg. After giving the cyberdog some attention, The King turned back to Yoka. "Lay it on me."

"Alright, first we found out the NCR is distributing food and water over by the Squatter side." I began explaining. I've decided to give him the news slowly, one discovery at a time, so he'd have a chance to think them over.

The King raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a reason to get ruffled over. What else you've got?"

"Thing is, they're denying stuff to the locals." Samantha added.

The King rested back on the chair and though it all over. "That would explain the goons. They're here to keep my people away from them, and that ain't something I support, no sir."

"Now here's the big thing King," I said, picking it back up. "The NCR claims they've sent an envoy to negotiate the relief effort."

He leaned in even closer and closed his hands into fists. "Now wait a minute, I haven't seen or heard of any damn envoy!"

I took my time to analyze his reaction. The King had proven to be a good man so far, but I've been fooled by righteous intentions before. Thankfully, his shock was genuine enough, and he didn't look suspicious at all; unlike his friend, Pacer.

"That's the thing," I kept explaining. "They also claim the envoy was attacked by your man, and barely survived."

You must understand how strange it is to see The King angry. The man has kept his cool (and he has a lot of it) ever since I've met him, not only that but his suave style makes him look like someone who could never lose his temper. "There must be some kind of misunderstanding, I'd never order such a thing."

"Than we are an impasse." Daniel concluded. "Either you or the NCR is lying, and no offense to you King, but I don't know who I can trust."

The King didn't look offended, which I wasn't sure if it was good or bad. But instead of wondering who could be hiding the truth, I decided to offer another possibility. "Actually, I think I know who's to blame."

Everyone placed their eyes on me, except for Yoka, who was staring blankly at the wall, like she her mind was drifting from place to place. She did not stay quiet though. "Pacer." She simply said.

"Pacer?" The King asked.

"That's right," I explained. "He confronted us just a few seconds ago, trying to convince us that the envoy thing could be nothing but a story. Pretty suspicious if you ask me."

"You think Pacer is the one attacked the envoy?" The King questioned, more worried than angry. "Now, I know the man has done some reckless things before, but there is no way he would-"

"King, we've got a problem!" shouted one of the Kings, bursting into the theater through the door in a mad hurry.

The King jumped from his chair, clearly startled. He quickly picked up his posture and faced his man "What is it boy? This better be important"

"It's Pacer," the messenger said, sweating through his pores and breathing like a mad Bighorner. He obviously ran along way to tell us something. "He gathered up some of our boys and attacked the guys from the NCR."

The King brought his hands to his head and almost pulled his beautiful hair apart. "What is that fool doing!" he turned to me and pointed at my chest. "I need you to get down there and defuse the situation. Do it as fast as you can and tell the NCR I'm willing to convince them of the King's innocence!"

"Don't worry, we've got this!" Samantha assured The King with her trademarked enthusiasm. We rushed the door but before we got out, he called us again. "Wait! I know this might be hard to ask… but don't hurt Pacer. Please."

He is right, it was going to be hard. I didn't want to hurt anyone I didn't have to, but Pacer has proven to liking fights he could avoid. "Don't you worry King, we ain't gonna lay a hand on him." I sort of lied. Hopefully, this won't end like Boulder City.

I can't have another slaughter in my hands.

Moving as fast as we could, the four of us quickly made our way to the building we found the relief effort, and just as quickly we found out it was empty. "Where the hell is everyone?" Dan asked us, but of course, none knew.

His question did not go unanswered for long though, as the sound of gunfire echoed through the streets, directly south of us. Around the nearest corner was an abandoned warehouse, with a tall watchtower next to it. Taking cover behind the warehouse and a bus stop near the street were a couple of Kings, trying to keep a constant fire on the watchtower, which in turn was full of NCR on the top and bottom.

At a single glance you could see that the NCR was winning this fight. Five Kings laid dead on the floor, and one was sitting against the wall, bleeding through his leg. Pacer and four others were still on the fight, all pinned down by the constant rain of fire. The NCR on the other hand were starting to push up to their enemy's location. If we didn't stop this soon, all these Kings would die for nothing.

One of Pacer's guys got up from his cover an sprinted down the street, away from the fight. As he passed I heard him shout "Fuck this, I ain't dyin' here."

"Come back here you coward!" Pacer shouted as another two of his man ran away, leaving just him and two more.

"Pacer, we gotta give this up, there's no way we're winning this fight! Hell, what are we even doing here, why would The King send us like this?" one of his friends shouted, grabbing Pacer by the collar of his jacket. Pacer pushed him off and rained a few bullets on the NCR with his pistol. "I'm not a pussy like you guys. These NCR fucks invaded our home and now they gotta pay!"

"Screw it, you've lost your mind, I'm out!" with that the two last guys left running.

"Fuck all of you then, I'll do it all myself!" Pacer tried take a shot but was immediately forced back behind the warehouse when a rain of bullets came down on him. If he popped one inch of himself out of cover, he'd get turned into mashed greaser by all those assault rifles.

"Pacer!" Ahyoka shouted at the guy before he did anything else. She also got the attention of the NCR, who aimed their rifles at us, but I could see Major Elizabeth Kieran tell them to hold their fire.

Pacer looked at us and his anger turned into rage. "God damn it Yoka! You and those stray dogs had to get in the fucking way didn't you?" He aimed his pistol at us, and in return, we pointed our guns at him. I locked my eyes into his, but against my better judgment, kept my finger off the trigger.

"The King knows everythin', Pacer. Stop gettin' you and your friends killed and come back with us, we'll give ya the chance to explain yourself." Yoka pleaded him. I'm amazed to see she just didn't shoot him o sight, because that's the impression she gave me so far.

For a second I though he'd give in. He even lowered his gun and stood up from his cover. But at some, point inside his head, something must have snapped, because he turned around sprinted towards an alleyway. Yoka aimed her pistol, which I didn't realize she had pulled out, and attempted to hit Pacer. One shot scraped him in the arm, but he quickly entered said alleyway and disappeared.

"You three go after him, now! We'll meet back at the school." I shouted to my friends. Yoka didn't waste a second and dashed after him, faster than I could have expected. Daniel gave me strange look, like he was asking who let me order him around, but followed right after.

Sam stood around for a second to ask something. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm just gonna square things up with the NCR, before they decide to storm The King's headquarters. Now go, they'll need your help." And so she parted off, running as fast as she could towards the same alley.

I on the other hand, walked to the watchtower with my hands high up in the air. Major Kieran was already at the bottom of the staircase with two of her man. Behind some crates, at the feet of the tower, I saw two wounded soldiers getting treated by a medic with bandages and stimpaks; but other than those two, no one else looked hurt, much less dead. Seems like the NCR won't be having any casualties today.

"I'm guessing I have you to thank for their leader's retreat?" The Major asked, motioning her soldiers to stand down. "Court, was it?"

I put my hands down as the soldiers lowered their rifles. "That's me. And actually, that guy was not their leader. The King is back in his school, looking more worried than you are about this whole situation."

Kieran scoffed. "He should be, since he's pretty much declared war on the NCR."

Before she went on, I raised my finger at her. "Hold on now, let me finish. The King has nothing to do with the attacks. It was one of his man who's been acting on his own, doing these things without his boss's knowledge."

"A rogue soldier?" The Major asked, not too convinced, but at least open to the possibility. "How can I trust your word?"

"You don't need to. The King himself has called you to a meeting. He wishes to clear things, end the fighting." I pulled off my most sincere voice to try and convince her, and it seemed to be working.

She whispered something to the man beside her, who replied with another whisper. They traded a few more words before turning to me again. "Fine, we agree to this meeting, but only if I can bring some of my man with me."

Fuck it, it would have to, and I guess it's a fair deal. Don't think I'd trust any King if I were in her shoes. Pacer really did some damage, didn't he? "Alright, come as soon as you can to the school. And please, do come with peace in mind."

"That, will depend on you and The King." She told me, arms crossed and boots hard on the ground.

I turned my back to her and began making my way back, whispering to myself. "Let's put this senseless bloodshed to an end."

When I got back to the theater, my friends had already returned, but with no Pacer in sight. Each stood in a corner while The King was sitting in the same chair as always.

"We lost him." Daniel walked to me and explained before I could even ask. "That fucker is a slippery one, Yoka got really close but he lost us in some twists and turns."

"Pacer was born in those alleys, same as me." The King cut in, looking down at Rex and petting him slowly. The dog whined and licked his master's face, a worthy attempt to cheer him up. Didn't seem to work though. "He knows them better than the back of his hand."

"So, what we do now?" Samantha asked, sitting down next to the cyberdog and petting him along with The King. "We just wait till he comes out hiding?"

The King let out a sad sigh. "I guess so. I already have my boys looking for him, but he is… **was** one of our best. We might not see him anytime soon."

Yoka, who was resting against the bar counter, got up and approached me, looking very tense. "How did it go with the NCR? They agree to a meetin'?" She calmed down when I gave her a nod. "Thank God, when are they comin'?"

"Told them to come as soon as they could. I told them how Pacer acted alone and that The King had no knowledge of what he was doing." I explained to everyone. The King's frown seemed to get smaller, and he got up from his chair, with a face of determination. He now looked like someone with a plan.

"We'll take care of Pacer later, now we have some work to do." Placing two fingers in his mouth, he blew out a loud, ear popping whistle. Before I could scold The King for making my ears ring, a bunch of Kings began pouring into the room and walking along the walls. Outside I could hear them call each other, spreading the news through the building.

After the last of the Kings came in, the place was completely crowded, with barely enough room to move around. The King had gotten up on stage, where he grabbed the microphone and spoke into it. "Listen up everyone. We're gonna have a two-headed bear for a guest in just few minutes, so we gotta get ready to impress if we don't wanna get eaten. You all know the drill, let's get this place ready to rock!"

Like a hive of Cazadores, every King ran off to do something that involved cleaning or decorating the theater. They moved and coordinated like they've been training to do this their whole lives, which they in fact might have. Colorful lights were hanged all across the ceiling. The floor, tables, chairs and walls where all cleaned to near perfection, and the stage lights and speakers had been set up and tested multiple times. During the entirety of this frenzy, an agitated rock solo played through some of the speakers, and the Kings would stop to dance to it as they moved around, like a piece of musical theater. If this was just the preparation for a show, I was very curious to see the actual thing, because this was all too amazing.

"Holy molly…" Sam let out under her breath, just as amazed by all this as I was.

"That's the Kings for ya." Yoka told us, bumping her shoulder on Sam, who seemed a little startled by Yoka's move, before giving her a warm smile.

The time they took to finish the job was also jaw dropping. In just fifteen minutes everything was ready and in place. The room barely looked the same after the makeover. Along with being a million time cleaner, it was now full of decorations. Colorful lights were on every surface, cups and plates were placed on the tables along with plastic roses inside glass vases, and posters of Old-World shows and celebrities were hanging on the walls (Most of them about the original "King").

"Damn, this is some impressive work like I've never seen before." Daniel commented, nodding approvingly at the scene. "And that's saying something. You see a lot when you're over two hundred years old."

"You're never gonna get tired of saying that are you?" I told him, with a faint smile.

The ghoul shook his head. "Nope."

The King jumped down from the stage, landing with bent knees and two finger snaps, and the music ended exactly when he hit the floor. He then joined our group, smiling proudly as he saw how impressed we all were. "So, what do you think? You dig the new aesthetic?" No one vocally answered the question, instead we all nodded as we kept on appreciating the room. "Glad you did, let's hope the soldier boys do too."

As if on cue, a King ran into the room and stopped before us. "King, they're here. We've got an officer, and she's got four armed guys with her. They're not in uniform though."

The King glanced at me, looking for approval, and I gave him a nod. "That sounds like Major Elizabeth Kieran alright."

"Good." The King said, looking rather satisfied and calm. "We will take them to my office, where we will negotiate." The messenger nodded and ran back into the reception.

I gave The King a confused look. "Wait, I thought you were going to bring them here, to see the show."

"Let me give you a lesson pal," The King said, laying a hand on my shoulder and pulling me out of the room. "You don't show a girl all you've got on a first date, mainly when you're a guy like me, because if you do, you might scare her away." His logic wasn't making too much sense to me, but I decided not to argue. "No, this show here is for after your night out, that way you prove her she made the right choice."

"So," said Major Kieran with her arms crossed, sitting on one side of the desk. "Our friend here told me a story about some rogue King that's been causing trouble on his own." Her four bodyguards stood behind her, each with an AR-15 Assault Rifle in hand, each looking as mean as their officer. The five of them and the two of us were now inside of The King's office, a comfortable and well decorated room, with plenty of wooden furniture that held everything you'd find in an office, along with some flashy toys and trinkets, most lf them were cinema or rock related.

The King sat on a large leather chair opposite to the Major, with his back to a large window that overlooked Freeside (we were on the third floor, by the way). Beside him was me, a little unsure of what I was doing here. "That's right Major. I'll admit, I should have seen that Pacer was a little out of line, but he was a close friend, you must understand that."

"I don't care how close he was to you. He caused a lot of trouble and someone's gotta pay for it." The Major complained, slamming her finger on the desk.

The King leaned forward on his chair. "Like I've told you already, we are looking for him under every brick in Freeside. He can't hide forever."

"We'll see…" Elizabeth said, not sounding too convinced. "For the time being, I suggest The Kings stay away from Squatter side, and let us run our operations in peace."

The King didn't look too happy about that suggestion. "Now hold on a minute, you can't just lock us out. We have many friends over there, locals who keep getting harassed by your thugs everyday!"

"Then maybe they shouldn't poke their nose in the wrong corners." Kieran barked, much to The King's dismay.

"Wrong places? This is their home, they should be able to roam as they please."

"The same can be said for our citizens. Freeside was never owned by anyone, so why do you act like it's all yours?"

"When the hell did I ever do anythin-"

"Enough!" I shouted, making the two leaders jump in their places. I didn't realize how angry that useless discussion was making me. I pointed my fingers towards Elizabeth. "Major, beating the locals to scare them away doesn't make you better than some second-rate Freeside gangster. I wish I could say the NCR knew how to deal with a problem peacefully but you people keep proving me otherwise." I then turned to The King and gave him the same treatment. "King, so far you've proved to be a nice guy, at least to Freesiders and their friends. But you have to see that NCR citizens are a part of Freeside now, so better start treating them as such."

"Now hold on a minute," The King protested. "I've never disrespected NCR, I've always welcomed them. Just ask Ahyoka."

"And I've always tried to carry out things without violence." Kieran joined in. "I can't always be there to monitor my man, but when I get into a fight, I was not the one to start it."

"If what you two are saying is true, then why are even in this room, having these useless discussions about who owns what or who has the right to where. Pacer is gone, the attacks can stop now. You two can put in action that relief effort Elizabeth has planned."

Both settled down in their seats and stared at each other for a minute. Elizabeth was the first to show initiative. "Your friend is right."

The King nodded in agreement. "That he is." He looked at me with proud eyes and a soft smile. Now I know why he insisted that I be here.

"You two have the chance to make this place better than it has ever been in over two hundred years. Don't waste that chance." The two kept staring at each other, until The King placed his hand forward and offered it to the Major. Took her a second, but she eventually shook it. The King gave her a wide smile, which she replied with a short smirk.

"I'll be looking forward to see us work together, Major." The King told her.

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you and your friend King. Don't betray that trust, and we'll do just fine."

Elizabeth and her man were as amazed as I was earlier when they walked into theater. "What is this?" The Major asked us as The King brought her to a table in front of the stage.

"I don't know about you folks," The King told her. "but we Kings like to celebrate." He turned to one of his guys across the room, near the door. "You can bring them in now!"

And so the guy opened the door, letting dozens of NCR citizens and the rest of Elizabeth's man inside. As they looked around the room in awe, they were seated by the Kings and served drinks and snacks, turning this into a proper and crowded party. The King rushed towards the stage and climbed it, disappearing behind the curtains, with a couple of Kings following behind him. At the same time, everyone except for the Kings that remained had taken a seat, including me, who found my three friends in the table next to Elizabeth's. "What's gonna happen now?" I asked them, but everyone seemed as lost as I was.

"If the Kings are as good as they claim to be, this should be very interesting." Daniel commented. "I doubt they're as good as the real thing though."

Me and the girls looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean the real thing?" Sam asked him.

"Heh, seems like not even the legacy of The King of Rock & Roll could survive the nukes..." He told himself, making us even more confused. "No, that's not true. The Kings might not know who he was, but his music still inspires and entertains people, even if he's not around to play it."

"You're talkin' about the man in the posters right?" Yoka asked him. "When I came to Freeside as child, I met The King and his gang in this here buildin', which they had turned into their headquarters before I arrived. The King's friends joked how much he looked like the poster guy, so that's how he was given the nickname we all know and love."

"What's his real name anyway?" I asked Yoka. "And I'm talking about this King, not the old one."

Yoka shook her head and laughed. "You know what's funny? They never told me. Only the old Kings and the man himself know his real name, but they refuse to tell anyone. They say it's doesn't matter who he was before, only who he is now."

"Huh… That's cool." Samantha commented, pointing at the stage. "It only makes me more curious about what he's cooking behind that curtain."

For a few minutes, nothing happened. The entire room was in a stir, drowned in voices coming from the dozens of tables, each in their own conversation, but none dared to take their eyes from the stage. Suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed, not completely turning off, but leaving us in a soft darkness.

The spotlights on the roof turned on, each being operated by a King standing on catwalks that were placed under each light. The speakers crackled to life, spewing the sounds of a loud trumpet and some other instruments, followed by the sound of metal mugs being hit against the wall.

The show had begun.

Curtains were raised, revealing the setting of an Old-World prison, with two levels of jail cells connected by a side staircase and a firefighter's pole in the middle.

Dressed in his white jacket, but this time with a black and white prison shirt like the others, The King rushed to the middle of the second floor, dancing and singing in a way I just can't put into words. He was good, **really** good, moving like I've never seen before and spilling words in such a happy and agitated but at the same time melodic voice that you could call intoxicating, but in a good way, like the burn of whiskey or the taste of fine cigar.

" _The warden threw a party in the county jail_

 _The prison band was there and they began to wail_

 _The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing_

 _You should've heard them knocked-out jaibirds sing_

 _Let's rock everybody, let's rock_

 _Everybody in the whole cell block_

 _Was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock"_

As he sung, he danced, he walked, he jumped and he swinged. At one point, the man slid down the firefighter's pole and climbed onto a courtyard table as his buddies gathered around him, dancing and playing a bunch of different instruments. As the song went on they played a fun little chase scene, choreographed to follow the music.

At the end of that song, everyone was on their feet, clapping as loud as they could, whistling and jumping in place. Little did we know the show was far from over. They went through many different songs, some had a little play like the first one, others were just a regular show, and few had The King sing on his own, usually about themes of love. But it didn't matter how different each song was, they were all amazing. We found ourselves dancing and singing along, even though I wasn't much of dancer.

But then again, they did serve us drinks and I might have had a few too many. Bah, who cares, I was having fun, more than I've had in really long time. Travelling alone for so many years makes you forget how amazing it can be to have people with you.

" **Whoooo!** " Samantha shouted as she ran to the stage and joined the crowd that had formed. Yoka jogged behind but turned around for a second to call me and Daniel. "Come on boys, let's get close to the action!" Daniel and I shared a look and laughed.

I motioned towards the show, with a beer in my hand. "Shall we?"

Daniel shook his head. "Nahh, you go ahead. I was never a fan of crowds."

I leaned my head to the side and gave him a friendly push. "You sure? You might not wanna miss out on this!"

He just nodded his head. "Yeah kid, I'm sure. You go have some fun, I'll be waiting for you by the bar once it's all over."

"Don't say I didn't warn ya then." With that, I chugged my drink and jumped into the crowd, joining them in whatever crazy dance they were copying from The King. Me and the girls gathered around and tried our best to throw down some moves. Despite failing miserably, I didn't care. I was in a burst of adrenaline and everyone was too drunk to judge. It went on like that for the rest of the show.

And so the rest of the evening went by like flash. A few hours later and I found myself sitting besides Daniel and girls, eating a plate of Brahmin Steak on the bar's counter. Major Elizabeth and The King were having a conversation on the opposite end of the room, and two Kings were passed out by a corner. There were also the four bodyguards that first came with the Major earlier today. One of them was asleep while the others talked to one another around a table next to their officer. The room looked exactly like you would expect it to look after a party that wild, but it was mostly empty, with the exception of the people I mentioned.

"Who would have know, dancing gives you one mighty appetite!" I thought our loud as I shoved another piece of meat into my mouth.

Samantha nodded and answered with a "Uhmhumph!", agreeing through a mouth full of food.

"Jesus, you two are animals." Daniel laughed, sipping his glass of scotch. Yoka wasn't eating or drinking anything, instead she was playing around with a couple of toothpicks by holding them up straight and flicking them into the cups and glasses on the shelves. She was very focused in her game, and I don't think she missed a single one so far, something that brought earlier memories from today. She had shown exceptional skill with a pistol when facing Orris, and when I questioned her about it, she gave me and unconvincing story. Then she pulled her pistol out before I even noticed her move when Pacer ran away. There was more to this girl, and I don't think she wants us to know what.

"Hey, Yoka," I called her after swallowing some more steak. "You never told us your story. All I know about you is that you are the local stable girl." and that you can shoot like a pro, along with having some questionable morals, but I left that out. "There's gotta be more to you, right?"

She shot another toothpick into a glass before looking at me and shrugging. "There ain't much. Half the people here in Freeside have a similar story, you'd honestly have more fun hearin' them from alleyway junkie than from me."

"Oh come on Yoka, tell us more about you. You seem like a fun time, I bet you have some cool tales to tell us!" Samantha begged her with that cute puppy look she makes.

Yoka rolled her eyes balls and sighed. "Alright, you guys win." She took a deep breath and poured herself some wine. "My dad and I come from an old tribe down in Colorado. And when I say old, I mean really old, like, Old-World old."

"Cherokee, right?" Daniel asked her, and she nodded.

"If you two have never heard of that tribe, that's because we don't exist no more. We survived the bombs because we lived far away from the cities, we survived the radiation because we migrated west, and we survived the mutants because we were great warriors. What we didn't survive… was them." Yoka pointed towards the wall behind us.

"Uhh… you didn't survive modern architecture?" Samantha guessed and Yoka laughed.

"No ya dummy, I'm pointin' east."

"Caesar's Legion…" Daniel let out, almost whispering. Samantha and I went stiff, stories that involve The Legion are never happy.

Yoka didn't look sad though, and kept on telling us her story like it was just a regular conversation. "I was born at our village located on the bottom of the Rocky Mountains, where we had plenty to hunt, fish and forage. I didn't get to live much of that life though. A little after my fifth birthday, one of Caesar's Frumentarii showed up by himself, tellin' us that if we didn't join their empire, they'd take us by force."

"And... what happened." I asked, afraid of what was to come.

Yoka took a quick breath and kept on telling her story with a stone cold expression. "We were too proud to simply give in, so we fought. Three times they tried to take us, three times they failed. Our village was not some vulnerable agglomeration of tents like you might expect. We had grown and adapted over the years, buildin' walls, scavengin' guns and makin' traps to protect us, along with having the skill to face even the best of Caesar's man. They tried to burn us, but we put out the fire and killed them with their own flames. They tried to sneak in to our village, but we found them sent them back with broken legs. They tried to take by storming with brute force, but we beat them back before they could scream for their Caesar."

"Then how did they defeat you?" Sam asked her.

"They used our strength against us. They constructed a blockade around our village, shootin' down anyone that left it. We had some farms inside, but most of our food still came from huntin' and foragin'. There was a river that ran through the village, but they poured poison up the stream, killin' all the fish before it killed some of us. And so we were left to slowly die of hunger and thirst." She made a short pause to drink her wine. In one swift gulp, she downed the entire glass. "But we would not go down that way. Our most skilled warriors gathered to make one final push. While we may have had the skill, The Legion had the numbers, everyone knew that. It was not a fight we could win."

She paused again, and while I wanted to know more, I did not dare to ask for it. She wasn't showing it, but I'm sure it hurts to tell that story.

"At least they bought enough time for the children and their caretakers to escape." She finally said.

"And so you and your father came to Vegas." I assumed, but she shook her head.

"Not at first. We ran west and were met with the NCR, becomin' citizens of a small town in eastern California. We ran a farm there before decidin' to move to Freeside." She fished off with a short smirk.

"That's it?" I asked her. I know it was a little rude of me to say it like that, but I was hoping to uncover the reason behind her shooting skills.

She thought about it for a while before continuing. "I guess I never mentioned my younger brother Moha. He ain't around because he left to serve the NCR, wants some payback from The Legion for what they did to our people."

"Well, that's honorable, I guess." Samantha commented.

Yoka shot out an ironic laugh. "Hah, it's stupid that's what it is. The boy is too proud and hot-headed for war. He's gonna get himself killed and I won't forgive him for it." Now Yoka sounded angry, but a little sad.

"What about your mother?" Sam asked, even if she shouldn't. Yoka was starting to show some discomfort. "You never mentioned her."

Now Yoka looked even sadder, but answered anyway. "Remember that last pushed I mentioned?" We all nodded. "Well… mom was one of them skilled warriors. Last thing I saw her do was shoot a Legionnaire before throwing her tomahawk at another." Melancholy was all over her face, but she took a deep breath and swallowed her sorrow along with it, a trick I'm all too familiar. There were more questions I wanted to ask her, but decided that enough was enough.

"We should check out with The King, know if things are fine between him and the Major." Daniel suggested, breaking the small tension we had created.

"Yeah, good idea." I replied as I took a last bite from my steak.

"I'll stay here, you guys go ahead." Yoka told us.

Samantha looked at Dan and me, before looking back at Yoka. "I think I'll stay too, still have some steak to finish."

"Alright then." And so the ghoul and I made our way to the big leaders, the two of which seemed to be having a grand time. "-and then I said "Tom, you'll find me playing the flute before you get that girl!" I must have missed the context off the joke, because Elizabeth almost laughed her lungs out.

"Oh God you're too funny!" she screamed and pushed The King back before noticing us. Seems like I'm not the only one who had too much to drink. "I must thank you Court, for bringing us together. I haven't had this much fun in fucking **ages**!"

"Glad to be of help." I replied with a smile. This night is turning out to be a lot more fun and surprising than I could have expected.

"I will do more than just thank you friend!" The King sparked. "I've made you a promise, and I will see it through. Come here tomorrow morning and I should have four passes ready for you."

Four passes? I looked over at the bar and saw Yoka laugh at something Samantha told her, before addressing The King again. "We only need three actually, Yoka's not with us."

"Really?" he asked. "Shame, I thought you four were working together. You all seem to get along well."

"I'm not so sure about that." Daniel grumbled, eyeing the girl in question. Seems like he also had second opinions about her.

"Oh, come one." The King contested. "Look at the four of you. I can tell the way people feel about each other when they party, been looking at them do it for years now. Trust me when I say this, you guys are team."

I gave that a long and deep thought. I didn't really believe that, I mean, yeah Dan knew a lot about The Mojave and was a really good shot, two things that have been of great help, and Sam's knowledge of computers and machines came in handy a couple of times. Ahyoka was a new addition but she already saved my life once and helped us navigate Freeside. But the only thing that brought us together was coincidence , convenience and insistence. It made us interest partners at best, but I'm not so sure anymore. Daniel and Samantha don't even have any business with me anymore.

The King noticed how we weren't too moved by his words, so he just shrugged. "I don't know, I guess you guys just look good together. There's a mix of looks and styles you don't usually see around the wastes. You four have already helped rock Freeside, imagine what you guys can do in The Strip?"

I couldn't help but smile a little. The King sure knew how place his words. "I'll sure show Benny a good time." I told myself, but Dan seemed to have picked it up, and smiled.

"What's that about Benny?" The King interrupted. "You mean Benny as like, the Chairman guy?"

I motioned for him to drop it. "It's a long story. Look, we'll see you tomorrow to pick up the passes. Today was an interesting day and I just want to rest. Thank you for the a amazing party, by the way. I'm sure none of us will ever forget it."

"It was my pleasure." He pointed at me before I left. "I hope to see you around Freeside one day, you should stick around now that you're gonna be so popular." The King commented.

I scoffed and laughed at the idea. "Popular? Me? Come on, I'm just a Courier, I deliver stuff for a living."

"Then next time The Kings need something delivered, we'll make sure to give you a call." He winked at me before Dan and turned our backs to him.

The girls were in the same spot we left them, expect they each had water bottles. It's always good to stay hydrated, mainly after ingesting so much alcohol.

"So, you're all set?" Yoka asked

"I guess so." I answered. "We'll come back to pick our passes tomorrow morning." My mind quickly went back to The King proposing to give Yoka a pass too. She definitely deserves a reward, but it's up to her to decide what that will be. "The King offered you a pass too, but I think you can negotiate for something else."

"Hum." She hummed, thinking. "A pass is a fine deal. You don't get something worth two thousand caps everyday."

Samantha's eyes glimmered and she sparked. "Oh! Hey, if you come with us, we can like, visit the Casinos and go barhoping and everything!" Woah, someone is eager to visit The Strip. Sadly, I have other interests in mind.

"Slow down. You know that's not why we're here Sam." Daniel quickly shot her down.

"Oh… right…" She mumbled.

"Sam, you can do whatever you want when we get to The Strip." I reassured her, before turning to Dan. "We already talked about this, once we're in there, we're parting ways."

Dan rolled his rotten eyes and scoffed. "Really, you're still pushing us away. Even after this whole Freeside ordeal."

I glanced over at Yoka, hoping she'd ignore this whole discussion. I didn't need anyone else prying into my business. She just stared at me, expressionless, which I think was worse than having her say something.

Daniel took offense to my silence and began speaking a little louder. "Why are you so excluding out sudden. You're nothing like the guy I met at that Ranger Station, all friendly and welcoming."

"Our situation was different back then. You needed help, I needed a place to sleep. Taking those gangsters out was in both our interests." I argued with him.

"So you just saved me, shared food with me and let me travel with you, because it benefitted you, and nothing more?" He questioned, crossing arms.

"Why else would I do it?" Honestly, I wasn't sure of the answer for that question myself, and I don't know which possibility scared me the most.

"Simple. You need help, and we can provide it"

Jesus Christ this was infuriating. I did not need this in my life right now. "I don't need any help. I've been travelling by myself for years, I've always figured out how to deal with things on my own, and sure as hell don't need anyone babysitting me!"

"Babysitting?" He almost shouted, but like me, he didn't want to draw attention. "Do you insult your friends like that everyday?"

Before I could reply, Samantha jumped from her stool, getting between us. "Guys, please, come on, let's not act like children, we are all-"

"We are acting like children?!" I scolded her. "Ha! You're one to talk. You act all immature, seemingly oblivious to danger, playing around with your gun like it's a toy. It's no wonder you got yourself locked in that room in that first place!"

As soon as I finished that sentence, I regretted saying it. Sam had stumbled backwards, almost tripping over Daniel. Her eyes glimmered, and her jaw trembled. For a few seconds, she looked sad, as if on the verge of crying, but then her sorrow turned into anger.

"Wait, Sam, I'm-"

"Is that really what you think?!" She shouted, slamming her finger on my chest. Remember how I mentioned she looked strong? Well, turns out she didn't just look. Her tap knocked me on my ass. Now there was no avoiding it, everyone was staring at us. "Guess what, you're not the first one! But the thing is, I don't usually try to help the people who think that of me." She lowered her voice, looking down at her feet and sitting back down again. "You're right, there's nothing for me to do here. I should have just gone home when we arrived in Freeside."

Dan's eyes were just as shocked and angry as you might expect, but Yoka gave me that cold gaze of hers, and I couldn't say if she was angry, disappointed or indifferent about all this.

Crap, what have I done! I'm such a fucking idiot! I was just angry, and I didn't think before I spoke! Say something damn it, apologize, make up to her, do anything!

But I couldn't. I couldn't make things right, not only because I didn't know how to, but because I was too busy staring at my Pip-Boy, who had just turned itself on for some reason.

Yoka noticed my sudden confusion and placed her hand on the back of her waist. "Court? What is it?"

"Don't try to escape this now, Court." Daniel barked at me. "If you're really going to be an asshole like this, we'll leave-"

"Not now! There is something-" My eyes widened when I realized what was going on, and my hand quickly reached for my Peacemaker. The screen on my device was turned to map screen, with the compass on the bottom.

Where a single red blip was pointing behind me.

Before anyone could ask what was going on, a scream echoed through the room. "Ahhhh!" Major Elizabeth shouted as she was pulled from her chair.

Pacer had his arm around her neck and a pistol to her head. "Nobody move or the lady here gets it!"

"Pacer, what the hell!" The King shouted at him, frozen in his place. I already had the revolver aimed at Pacer, but he and the Major kept wriggling around, making a clear shot impossible. Her bodyguards were to my right, all aiming their rifles at Pacer. I crossed the room, getting closer to the bad guy, but stopped once he pushed the gun against the Major's head. "I said nobody fucking move, damn it!"

"Pacer, this has gone on for long enough. Let the woman go so we can talk this out." The King tried to convince him, sweating trough his forehead and slowly approaching the hostage. It all just seemed to make Pacer angrier.

"There ain't nothing to talk about! All I gotta do is blow this broad's brains out, end this fucking madness."

"The only one who's mad here is you Pacer!" This time, Yoka was the one talking. "Why do you want to create a war between The Kings and the NCR?"

"Because we don't need no god damn NCR! Ever since we created The Kings, it was just us and Freeside. No governments like The Legion, these republican fucks, or even !" Pacer explained, pulling Elizabeth back at each step. He'd soon hit the corner of the room behind him. "We don't need people like them, we don't want them here, and I thought you'd agree with me King, but no, you had to go soft on outsiders!"

"Pacer, please, nothing good will come out of this." The King begged him. "You're my friend, and I want things to stay that way. If you kill Elizabeth, you know what will happen to you."

Yoka leaned in closer to me and whispered. "I can take him out if you distract him."

I gave her a _are you serious?_ look. Pacer was her friend too. Is she just gonna give up on him like this?

Without taking my eyes from the hostage and her captor, I whispered back. "No, we'll handle this without violence."

"You two, stop whispering!" Pacer blinked as sweat dripped into his eyes. He was afraid and angry at the same time, besides bat-shit crazy.

And the worst part is that I knew that look, the emotion he beamed from his eyes. He had the look of someone with nothing to lose.

And the look of a killer.

"I get it Pacer," I told him, trying to sound as sympathetic as I could. "The Kings are your life, and you're willing to give yourself away for them. The problem is that you're stuck in the past, stuck with what the Kings used to be. Things change Pacer, they evolve. It's time you do the same."

He was shaking a little before, but now it's like the man himself is an earthquake. I could see his grip around his pistol loosen up, and he almost took the muzzle out of the Major's head. He took a look around the room. A couple of Kings were entering the room after hearing the confusion. They looked at Pacer with sad, angry or disproving expressions. The man was about to cry, he couldn't deal with this much pressure.

And pressure drives people to do two things: give up, or give in.

Pacer chose the latter.

His eyebrows frowned and his eyes turned mean. His hands gripped the pistol tightly again, and he placed his finger on the trigger. He was fast, but not fast enough, cause I already had V.A.T.S. activated, and his head had already been selected.

* **BANG** *

Pacer fell to the ground with a hole above his nose. Elizabeth ran away from him, stopping just before her bodyguards.

The King rushed to his friend's body, holding his head up on his lap. "Pacer? Pacer, buddy, come on, don't give up on me, don't go out like this, don't do it man!" Tears began to roll down his face as he realized his friend was not getting up. It was a clean kill, the round entered through the nose and up the brain.

Pacer, The King's best friend was as dead.

And I was the one who killed him.


	22. Chapter 22: House Meeting

Chapter 22: House Meeting.

Finding a place to sleep in Freeside was easy.

Finding a **safe** place to sleep was something else entirely. Every single abandoned building had at least one angry looking drunk or junkie who'd throw empty bottles at you as soon as he spotted you. And so with that, I spent a good hour or two looking for a place to get some shut eye.

It sure was hard to navigate Freeside without a guide.

Worst part was that feeling of being watched as you walk around in the dark. I got that chill up my spine every five minutes or so, but I always turned around to find no one there. Must be the damn alcohol, getting to my head.

After a couple of hours of stumbling around Freeside, I passed by the main street again, down from the King's school, where the same hooker from when I first came here was advertising some place called The Atomic Wrangler. She must have seen my tired eyes, because with a seductive look, she turned to me and shouted "Come down to the Wrangler for the softest of beds, and the warmest of companies."

I gave her a glance, and she replied with a wink. Maybe I'd have smiled, if this night was any other night. Right now, I was tired, hangover and depressed. I needed a bed, nothing more.

The Wrangler was a side building just down the street from the woman, easily seen by the tall neon sign with the name and the drawing of a cowboy riding an atom like an angry Brahmin, spinning his hat in the air. The place didn't look any fancier than any of the other dilapidated structure around it, but at least I offered safe shelter.

Once inside, I quickly but subtly eyed the place. To the left of the entrance was a bar counter, where two bored looking bartenders in suits, a man and a woman; rested their heads on their arms, hoping to attend someone before they ended up falling asleep. To the left, there was a wide empty stage, which reminded me of the King's show, making me even more depressed.

How did it all go to shit so fast?

There were a bunch of tables spread around, all the way towards a back room. There were a few slot machines along a wall near the bar, and the room I mentioned held a few classic casino games, most of them empty, but a few costumers were still awake, playing or drinking their caps away. Lastly, two stair cases led to a second store balcony, with rooms along them.

I approached the bored bar woman, and she took a more formal pose once she noticed me, but her eyes still looked as dead as mine… not as bad Daniel's though.

God, just remembering him made my hearth ache. I didn't own him anything, but what I did, what I said… it wasn't fair. Nor was leaving them without a word, but my coward ass that whole Pacer fiasco was a perfect distraction to leave unnoticed.

"The damage is already done." I thought to my myself. "Time to move on." I tried to convince myself. It wasn't as easy as I wished it to be, but I knew it was just a question of time. All I had to do was go on with my life, leave it all behind, like I've been doing for all these year.

"Hello? You there?" the woman asked. She turned to the man and shrugged. "I think he's high or something."

"No…" I muttered, snapping out of my transe. "Sorry… I just spaced out. I'm looking for a room."

"Ten caps a night. Money up front." She simply said.

I slid the money to her, and before I turned around, she pulled a shot cup and a bottle of Tequila. "You look like you need a drink."

She was both right and wrong. I needed that drink, drown my mind in as much alcohol as I could, or else my thoughts would bother me the whole night. At least getting drunk would help me fall asleep.

Thing is, my conscience knew I already had plenty to drink during the party. Don't think my liver would be too happy about having to work even more than it already did. But it was no use fighting my worst impulses, not when I'm feeling like shit.

I sat on the stool and awaited my drink.

"Money up front." She repeated, pulling the bottle back.

I left out a low "Ugh" and threw her the extra caps. She took them with the same emotionless expression before serving me.

First shot poured, first shot down.

Second shot poured, second shot down.

Third shot poured, Third shot down.

Fourth shot poured, fifth shot down… wait... that's not right... my head's spinning already.

Fifth shot poured, fifth shot down… on the floor… followed by me.

Despite being extremely drunk and having just crashed down on the floor, I was more of less capable of making out the following events.

"Oh well, I guess that's enough for him." I heard the male bartender sigh. A few seconds later, two hookers and a waiter where carrying me up stairs, to what I hoped was my room. Finally, I was thrown on a bed and left alone, but not before someone brought a bucket and dropped it beside me.

"Try to puke in there, will you?" The female bartender complained and left.

I didn't need the bucket, since I feel asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

At one point during the night, flashes of Pacers bloody face kept popping up in my mind, followed by images of the weird dream I had back in Goodsprings. I now knew what that dream meant, it was a fragment of the night I was shot. The mannequins were Benny and the Khans, mimicking what had happened that day. At least I didn't get interrogated by my own mannequin this time, or maybe I did, just don't remember it happen. My dreams are always the fuzziest when I'm drunk. Maybe that's what saved me from waking up in the middle of the night, sweating cold like before. I was not looking forward to another nightmare.

If my hangover was bad yesterday, it was insufferable now. I woke up with my head spinning, my vision blurry, and the lights too strong. Strangely enough, I felt the same as I did when I woke up in Doc Mitchells bed. I do remember comparing that moment to being hungover, so I guess surviving a headshot and getting shitfaced are two not too different events. Both are bad for your health and feel like coming back from the dead, although one is closer to the truth than the other.

Getting up was probably one of the hardest things I'd do all day, but I eventually overcame the feeling of dread and the weakens that plagued my mind and body. I made my way down the stairs, aiming to leave as soon as I could, but was stopped when the female bartender called me.

"Hey you, we got something here for you." I looked at her and saw her hold a small blue card, one I've never seen before.

Curiosity got the better of me and I made my way to her, taking the thing in my hands. "What's this?"

She looked at me strangely, like I just made her the dumbest question she ever heard. "It's Strip pass. Not the kind of thing to brandish out in the open unless you're looking for trouble." She answered, giving a suspicions look around the room.

I took her advice and hid the card away in my duster. "Who gave this to you?"

"Some brunette in flannel shirt. She came shortly after you passed out and told us to give it to you when you woke up."

Yoka. How the hell did she know I was here? I guess it didn't matter much, since I wasn't looking forward to returning to The King's School of Impersonation. Pacer might have gotten what was coming to him, but The King didn't.

"I see… thanks." I was just about to leave, when a thought came to me, and I called the woman again. "Hey… no offense to you, but if these passes are so valuable, why didn't you just keep mine? I would have left without even knowing you had them."

Her eyes grew and she looked somewhat worried. "Are you kiddin' me? If you looked at that brunette in her eyes, you'd know exactly why."

"Please, step away the gates, or you will be dealt with lethal force!" shouted multiple Securitrons as some random squatter rushed The Strip's gate, ignoring the robots and their warnings. The poor guy didn't stand a chance. When he was just few feet from the gate, the Securitrons aimed their claws at him, and you could see the barrel of a gun pop out of each hand. In just about a second , the intruder had become a pile of blood and gore for everyone to see.

"This pass better work." I whispered to no one in particular. I had in hidden in my vest, ready to pull it out whenever needed. I'm not sure why I was so tense, maybe it was because I didn't put a lot of faith in this pass. And the dozens of heavily armed robots didn't help. I gave my necklace a little squeeze, just for good luck.

I walked closer to the blockade, and a Securitron moved forward to address me. "Halt!" he shouted with his robotic voice. A blue beam was projected from his visor, scanning me from head to feet. "Entrance permit detected." He rolled to the side and raises his arm towards the gate. "Mr. House welcomes you to The Strip. Please, have a good time, and do not cause any trouble."

Well, that's one cold, warm welcome. The gates slowly opened for me, but they were so slow I just slipped in as soon as enough space was made available.

Once inside, I almost fell over my own footing, because I was too busy gawking at the massive agglomeration of lights, people and gigantic buildings around me.

"Oh… wow."

A long and wide street, with more lanes than I have ever seen reached down to the horizon, holding a large crowd of people like I haven't seen in years. Both sides of the road housed rows of enormous buildings, each covered in enough lights and decorations to blind you. Huge neon signs stood tall over me and all the way down this famous street known as The Strip, displaying the names of each distinctive establishment: "The Phoenix", "Treasure Island", "Circus del Luna", "Cleopatra's Oasis" were just a few names amongst many others. And of course, standing above everything and everyone was The Lucky 38, located on the left side of The Strip.

There are casinos all around California, mainly in New Reno, they paled in comparison to the glamor and marvel that was The Strip. These buildings looked mostly intact, their only sign of damage and decay being the aged wall paint and a few broken windows, but other than that, this is what I imagine the Old-World looked like. It was truly breathtaking, one hell of a sight to see. If I wasn't here for "business", I'd probably just run into the nearest casino to see what it looked like on the inside, and do that to all of them until the end of the day. It was like a buffet of themes, styles and architecture, one that made me feel like a little kid in a toy store. I just wanted to check everything out.

"Ok, calm down Court, you're not here for tourism. Let's find The Tops and do what I came here to do." Funny how I had to convince myself not to go off and gamble my life away. It's like this place was trying to dig into my brain and have me waste all my money on games that are obviously rigged.

"The game was rigged from the start." I whispered to the air. That's what Benny told me in my dream, but I have a feeling didn't hear it just then. I could easily picture myself kneeling over my own grave, looking up to that checkered coat and hearing him utter those words before pressing the trigger.

You haven't won just yet Benny, I'll show you what cards I have up my sleeve.

I made my way down the long street, careful to trip or bump over the hundreds of tourists. I was getting that feeling of being watched again, but I was in a crowded street after all. My biggest worry wasn't that though. I kept avoiding people as I went along, because who knows how many pickpockets can be found around this place. Probably too many to count. You feel someone bump on to you and think it was an accident, but next thing you know, your caps are gone. Learned all that the hard way.

As you might expect, I passed by many casinos, taking glances at them as I went along. The most interesting one was The Gomorrah, a tall grey tower with red and yellow neon all over it. In the center, the name was glowing and written in an Arabic style, and by its side were two lit up frames making the shape of curvy woman in very inviting poses. Around the entrance, dozens of "courtesans" danced and stretched themselves to attract attention of horny tourists. A working tactic, as you could see that many of them were into it, dancing and playing along with the "workers". They weren't allowed to get too close though, as one of the bodyguards wearing white suits and fedoras, wielding a Tommy Gun would warn them not to "touch the merchandise."

Interesting place, but I'm sure it wasn't the friendliest one. The market of sexual pleasure was as naughty as the hookers themselves. Actually, I take that back, it's a thousand times worse. I've seen the situation pimps and patrons put their man and woman through. Most of the times, they're barely treated like humans, no wonder this type of stuff was illegal before the war. Too bad we're busy trying to survive to give a crap about morals.

Shaking The Gomorrah out of my mind, I moved on. I had walked about half The Strip and was passing by the Lucky 38, when amongst the noise of music and talking, I heard a voice that made my heart freeze… again.

"Howdy pardner!"

I began to overhear something roll across the gravel and concrete of the floor, followed by mechanical clicks and scratches. "Oh no, please don't tell me-"

Victor, the tall cowboy Securitron rolled past the crowd and into my view. With his left claw waving in the air, he came to greet me with his enthusiastic voice and accent. "So nice to see ya! Seems like you finally made it to Vegas after all."

"Victor…" I spat out that name like it had a bad taste, particularly of steel and rubber. "Hope you're not here to stop me from getting to Benny." My hands were ready to reach for That Gun, who'd do more piercing damage to metal than my Peacemaker.

"Now why would I do that, pardner?" Victor scratched the side of his screen, as if he was scratching his head. "Although I must ask you do delay your vingative "pistoleiro" action and come with me for a minute."

"Now why would I do that, pardner?" I told him, immitating his previous question. There was no way in hell that I would follow that robot without good reason.

"Because the boss man wants to see ya." He simply said, as if I were supposed to know who that was. I looked gave him a deadly stare, maybe he'd be more clear about what he meant, but he just stood there, softly bobbing up and down.

"You're gonna have to more clear about who the "boss man" is, pal." I began to notice how I spoke like a cowboy every time I talked to Victor. Goes to show how he was getting to my head.

The bot hugged his chest and laughed. "Well now silly, the boss man was the one who got **me** to hire **you** to deliver that old Platinum Chip they gave ya."

My blood froze even colder, making my fists clench. I called back to my conversation with Johnson Nash, the manager of The Mojave Express back in Primm. He told me a cowboy robot had hired multiple Couriers for the job. "So you did hire me after all."

"That's right pardner, and I was the one who'd see you go through with it. I'd also be pickin' up the package here, if you hadn't lost it."

I frowned at him and barked a reply. "I didn't lose it, it got stolen. And you're fully aware of that."

"Of course," he remained enthusiastic. "and that's why the boss man wants to see you. He wants to help you take it back from fancy-pants." Well now, this is interesting. A possible opportunity has just appeared before me, and as much as I wanted to tell Victor to jump into a recycling bin and turn himself into something more useful, like a toaster, he might just lead me to the answers I've been looking for.

But that's not me saying that I was cool with all these secrets. If whoever controls Victor is willing to help me get Benny, great. But this was also a chance to get the answers I'm sure I deserve by now. And I'm sure I'll get them, one way or another.

"Alright, you win." I told him, throwing my arms up in surrender. "Take me to your boss."

"Mighty fine then! Just follow me." Victor shouted, turning on his back and rolling across The Strip. I had to keep a quick pace so he wouldn't leave me to the dust, and I didn't realize where he was leading us until we got there.

"Wait a second," I called out. "This - this is the Lucky 38!" We were right bellow the tall tower that was the infamous casino. It has a biconcave shape, being as wide as the biggest casinos on the bottom, getting slimmer as it went up before growing larger again. The top was shaped like a casino Roulette, with circular windows on the side and a large spike pointing towards the sky.

"That's right pardner, the boss's biggest architectural achievement. She's one beautiful thing, ain't she?" The robot asked with pride in his tone. Victor stopped before the entrance to the establishment, which was up a low stair case which was painted with the red and black of a Roulette, shimmering with lights that pointed towards the doors.

"Victor…" I called out to him as a blue beam of light, like the one the Securitron at The Strip's entrance used on the passes was shot from a small hole on the ceiling and scanned the robot. "Your boss is not..."

"Mr. House ?" the Securitron completed my question as the doors opened up. I glanced behind my back and noticed we had taken the attention of a few of the tourists. "Why of course it's him. And you should be honored, you're the first fella to walk into his house after more than two hundred years!"

Never thought I'd feel surprised and disappointed at the same time. The interior of The Luck 38 was incredibly big, filled with all kinds of machines and tables for all the gambling games one can play. I'm sure it was bigger than any of the other casinos, even though I haven't been inside them yet. Sadly, while everything looked as good as new, the entire place was dusty and abandoned. The lobby was dark, empty and silent, with the only movement coming from Victor and the two Securitrons keeping guard of an elevator that stood in the middle of the room. They did say no one has been in here for centuries, a shame really, this just seems like a waste of space and resources.

"He's right up the tower, on the top floor." Victor explained to me, pressing the call button. "He's mighty eager to meet you, so please be kind to the man."

I wasn't planning on being all that nice, this Mr. House did keep me in the dark about the delivery job he set me on, which was clearly a lot more dangerous than he made it seem like. But then again, I didn't want to piss off the guy who controls the very armed and very dangerous robots.

But thinking of about the man begs the question: Who is Mr. House? If the stories about him are true, he should be centuries old. Not that immortality is far from reality, just find the nearest ghoul and ask them how old they are, but if House was in Vegas when the bombs dropped, he shouldn't have been exposed radiation, since the bombs missed this city.

I wish I had some sort of theory, but I honestly don't. Maybe Samantha knows something I-

Sam…

God damn it. I should have apologized, even though I don't deserve forgiveness. I just hope she doesn't take what I said to heart. Ironically enough, I miss the way she was so optimistic and cheerful, even if it came off as a little childish. At least she was able to stay positive most of the time something I sure am jealous of.

...

It's for the best they're gone, Court. You already get yourself into enough trouble, no need to drag people into it. Just think about it, if this whole House thing is a hoax and I'm about to walk into my death, at least they won't be here to suffer for my mistakes.

Well, I won't stand here grieving for any longer. The elevator arrived and the metal doors opened up. I stepped into the box while keeping my eyes on Victor and the other Securitrons. Once inside, I pressed the top button, which was bellow a tag that read "Penthouse."

Before the doors closed, Victor tilted his head so I could see him through the crack. "Have nice talk, and do tell Mr. House his old pal Victor said hi, will ya?"

If somebody asked me what I expected to find once the elevator's doors opened up, I wouldn't have an answer. I wished I could expect something, but honestly, I had no idea of what I was walking into.

"Hey, God?" I asked, looking up at the ceiling. "I know I haven't been a good boy lately, but I hope this ain't your final judgement on me." I'm sure I sounded weak to any almighty God up in the sky, begging to be spared, but it doesn't hurt to have a little faith in mercy, does it?

No time to dwell on what was reserved for me any longer, since the elevator began slowing down. Nervous didn't even to begin to describe how I was right now.

As soon as the elevator dinged, my right hand instinctively moved over my revolver. If this was an ambush, I'd be ready for it. The doors began to open, letting some sunlight pour through. For I second, it seemed like I had been brought to the roof of the tower, but once I looked out and saw a ceiling, I quickly realized that the room I was in just had some really big windows, like, as big as the walls themselves. I seemed to be on top of a balcony, overlooking a very fancy and very clean living room, with all kinds of Old-World furniture. I walked down a couple of stairs and approached a circle of sofas in the middle of the room.

You probably don't know what it's like to see a place without dust, rust and decay when you live in a world like mine. Getting shot in the head and survive? Fine, I'm probably not the first. A city burned to the ground by a bunch of Roman cosplayers? The NCR sees that everyday. Religious ghouls that want to live in space? I know some junkies who would believe me.

But this of level of clean is unbelievable, not to say incredible. Not even some of the active Vaults you find around the wasteland can keep things this tidy and shinny. The coffee table was even polished for God's sake, I could see my own reflection on it! I was so focused on that damn table I didn't hear the sound of a rubber tire rolling into the room.

"Oh my!" A female and robotic voice exclaimed behind me, making me jump. "Seems like Mr. House's guest has arrived! It took you long enough, sweetheart."

Standing between me and a double doorway was another Securitron, except this one not only sounded different, but the screen displayed the cartoon drawing of woman with a seductive look.

"Uh… hi?" I babbled to the robot. What is it with these Securitrons and their caricature personalities?

The robot laughed (which sounded more like static than actual laughter) as her screen flickered. "Now what's with the dumb look on that face? Never seen a lady like me before?"

Now how was I supposed to answer that? She spoke in a suave and sexy tone, like some casino "courtesan" that really wanted to take some caps off you . "Well, can't say I have, miss."

"Just call me Jane, sweetie." The robot inquired as she rolled closer to me. "We haven't had new visitors in a really long time. Mr. House has been getting a little bored recently, and there hasn't been much me and the girls could do to cheer him up. Hopefully you can put a smile on his face."

"You and the girls?" I asked, a little baffled. " Are the other girls..."

"Securitrons like me?" she finished the sentence. "Why, of course! How else would we have kept him company over these two hundred and four years if we had fleshy bodies like yours?"

"I see…" This was too much for me. Two hundred and four years was exactly how long has passed since the bombs dropped. She is actually insinuating the Mr. House is older that that. "So, when do I get to meet Mr. House?"

"I'm glad you asked!" she exclaimed. "Just follow me!" she turned around and rolled through the door she came in through. I walked just behind her, and we passed a large and also very clean kitchen, before walking through another set of double doors (seems like every room has them, probably because the robots would have had a hard time walking through single doors). Throughout the way, Jane told me stories of how she and her girls kept House busy and entertained. Most involved weird and complex games, until he got bored of that and moved on to something Jane calls "digital stimulation". Not sure what that meant, but I hope it isn't what I think it is.

Finally, we reached some sort living room, except there was no furniture. The only things inside the room were a few potted plants, a couple of Securitrons standing guard all over the place, and a humongous computer terminal with an even bigger screen. I swear it was so big it almost touched the ceiling, and let me remind you that it was a very high ceiling.

"Where are we?" I asked the robot, who had left me in the middle of the room and rolled to the side of the computer.

"We're in Mr. House's room, you silly. Here, let me call him for you." Jane told me as she pressed a button on terminal. "Honey-boo, that Courier you wanted to see has finally arrived. Ain't that good news?"

The room was left in silence for a second or two, before a loud voice boomed through the room. "Ah yes, took him long enough." This time it was a men's voice, also robotic, but not as much as Jane or Victor. I assumed he was somewhere else in the building, and was speaking to us through an intercom. I noticed another elevator door behind me, opposite to the computer. I kept staring at it, expecting him to come out of it any time soon.

Suddenly, I heard a short sound of static coming from the computer, and turned back to it. The screen had turned on and an image was slowly forming on the screen. In just a few seconds, the black and white (along with the green tint from the computer screen) picture of a man's face overlooked the room. He was a middle aged, with a vintage side combed hair and a short mustache above his lip. He looked like your average Old World celebrity, the kind you see in posters for movies or in magazines. If the picture showed his body, I guarantee you he'd be wearing a black suit.

"Hello Mister Tempest," He sounded exactly like you'd expect him too: like a boring old adult, along with a smartass tone. "This meeting has been a long time coming, hasn't it?" The voice still boomed over the walls, but it mostly came from the computer.

"Uh…Hi?" I muttered. "Victor said hi…" That was all I could muster. What the hell was this?

"Oh, that silly robot never ceases to amaze me." He commemorated. "He was just a little joke I created for myself, but as it turns out that he's quite popular amongst the locals."

"Mr. House, I presume?" I asked the giant screen. It felt a bit silly, talking to a computer, and I had to admit, I expected to meet the guy in person. Was he too busy or too scared to see me face to face? "How do you know my last name?"

"I like to know all I can about the people I employ Mr. Tempest. I am a businessman after all." He alleged.

"Interesting." I commented. "And much more do you know about me?"

"Just what is necessary, I assure you Mr. Tempest." He replied. "For starters, I do know you've come a long ways, literally and, I suspect, figuratively as well."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Never in my life have I done half the things that happened in the last few days, so guess he was right. Getting here was quite a trip, one that was both intriguing and tiring.

"Now, allow me to ask you," Mr. House continued. "now that you've reached your destination, what do you make of what you see?"

That sounds kind of random. "You mean what do I think of Vegas?" I guessed. "It's like nothing I've ever seen. I mean, there were some casinos in New Reno, but they're nothing compared to this."

He laughed proudly, like a father happy with his child. "She is a beauty isn't she? Las Vegas seduced people from all over the world before the war, and now it continues to do the same as New Vegas. But that's not the greatest part about it, Mr. Tempest."

"It's not?" I questioned him, genuinely confused. Seduction seemed to be Vegas's main characteristic.

His screen flickered and his tone turned a little more serious. "Don't be coy Mr. Tempest." He mocked me in a strangely polite manner. "The reason people come to this city, the thing that attracts them is the dream, the hope, the expectation of winning countless riches, of getting lucky and taking part in adventures they can't have anywhere else. It's the illusion of greatness that blinds them to the truth Mr. Tempest."

He stopped his speech, as if he was waiting for me to talk. I already recognized this guy's type, and I knew what he wanted from me. Alright, I'll bite. "And what truth would that be?"

"That they are nothing." He answered with a small pause. "That differently than you and I, their lives make no true impact to this world that they live in."

"Me?" I scoffed. I'm sure he would rather have me ask why he thinks **he** is so significant, but I decided I was more interested in myself. "Since when did I become important? Because that's news to me."

"Is that you being humble, or are you just playing stupid?" He mocked, this time a little more offensively. "Saving Goodsprings from the Powder Gangers, facing the Legion in Nipton, exploring the ruins of REPCONN and helping the NCR get rid of those pesky Khans; we both know those were not easy tasks, Mr. Tempest. I even hear that someone solved some very serious problems around Freeside. I do believe they mentioned something about a Courier." He must have a camera in that computer, because he clearly saw my face of as he mentioned my past deeds. "Don't act surprised, you know I've been keeping my eye on you, Victor isn't the most subtle robot in the world. I sometimes wonder if I should have sent an Eyebot, but then again, he wouldn't have had the hands to dig you from your grave, would he?"

Ok, that was it. I don't like being kept in the dark, and I have been under the shade for long enough. This guy here obviously knew a lot more than he was letting on. "Victor didn't hire me, you did." I concluded. "And I want to know why? What's so important about a Platinum Chip that you need to hire six other decoys?" I thought back to Primm, where Johnson told me how other couriers were hired to carry objects as random as the Chip. They were clearly there to distract a person like Benny from me.

"What makes you assume the Platinum Chip was what I wanted?" Mr. House asked. "Why did you not assume you're one of the decoys?"

"That wasn't hard to figure out actually." I answered. "As you said, Victor was keeping his visor on me, and I was the only courier that got intercepted." I still don't know why I was the only courier that was hit, but I doubt Benny chose me at random and got lucky on the first try. "And last but not least, I'm up here, talking to you. I doubt that would have been the case unless I was important to you in some way."

Despite the picture on the screen not changing, I could somehow tell he was smiling. "Well done Mr. Tempest, I would be lying if I didn't say I was slightly impressed." His screen flickered as he made a small pause. "I imagine you'll be requesting an explanation about the quest I've sent you on."

I nodded and laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, that sure would be nice." I've been going at all this blind for long enough. "Seeing Vegas for the first time might have calmed me down a bit, but I've roamed The Mojave hanging on to a very thin trail, and it ends right over there." I pointed out the window, towards The Tops, which was a large white rectangular building in the distance. "My patience is just about to run out."

"What you seek will come in due time Mr. Tempest. All that I can say for now is that the Chip is very important to me. I've spent many resources trying to find it, and just when I am about to have it, it gets taken away by what I once called my trusted employee."

"Wait," I grunted. "That asshole Benny works for you?"

"I guess employee is the wrong word for it." He corrected. "Think of him as more of an associate, except he has far less resources and his area of activity is contained within my grounds."

"The Three Families." I recalled. "Benny is the leader of The Chairmen, right? Your supposed allies."

"That is right." Mr. House confirmed. "The Chairman, The White Glove Society and The Omertas were of great help in securing Vegas and setting up the casinos. They were nothing more than wild tribes with uncivilized customs before my Securitrons came along and offered them a piece of my empire. They have been cooperative ever since, but if I were to have some kind of rebellion, I'd have expected it to come from The Omertas." I quickly remembered The Gomorrah, that red casino circled with prostitutes I passed on our way here. That's where said family operates.

"You said you trusted Benny more than others." I pointed out. "Why is that?" All I've heard about the guy is that he's one back-stabbing snake.

"Once again, trusted is not the right word. Benny is very ambitious, a little too much for his own good. Until his sudden betrayal, I noticed that he was very supportive of my plans to make Vegas the center of the wasteland." House explained "Did you know that in the tribal days of The Chairman, the original leader refused my offer? Benny, on the other hand, was very eager to let go of his days as a murdering nomad, so he challenged his leader to a duel with machetes, which he won a lot quicker than people expected."

"Don't challenge him a knife fight, got it." I spurted out. "Now what does all this have to do with me?

"It has everything to do with you Mr. Tempest. My Securitrons have served me very well ever since I've created them. But I see them only as my legs, that I can use to move around my empire-" Once he finished that sentence, the big screen turned off, and Mr. Houses face replaced one of the guards that was standing next to one of the doors. "And that I can use to kick my enemies around as I please." The Securitron he "possessed" raised his hands towards another Securitron, whose visor now displayed a cartoon drawing of a Roman soldier, with an ugly frown and his tongue out. From Mr. House's hand, the barrel of a machine gun popped out and started firing on the other robot, which got littered with bullets until it stopped functioning and fell to the ground in a very loud * **CLANG** *.

"Interesting metaphor. What are the arms then?" I asked him, but already had a guess.

"Once, they were The Three Families. And for a while, Benny served as my right hand." He told me, switching back to the big screen. "But now, you must take their role, Mr. Tempest. I require steady hands that can cut the tumors of Vegas with deadly precision, something my Securitrons cannot do. Luckly for me, you're quite a precise man, aren't you?

This guy walked in the fine line between legitimately impressive, and an annoyingly rude. It was clear that he had great knowledge , not to mention even greater goals, but I could barely get over all these strange metaphors and this talk of The Three Families. Also, he can't truly be the original Robert House, genius billionaire and creator of RobCo., the company that once ruled the market of robotics and technology in the pre-war times. You could even say RobCo still rules the market today, since many of his robots and devices (like my Pip-Boy) are still used. Or at least their scrapped parts are.

"So… you want to hire me?" I finally asked.

"Precisely!" he sparked. "But I want you to do more than just your old duties as a Courier. I need you to go where my robots cannot go, do what they cannot do."

I scratched my thin beard, thinking over his offer. There were multiple things I needed to know before even considering his offer. "Will I get paid?" I asked.

"Of course." He assured me. "I doubt you could find someone who will reward you more than I will. Besides, you will find it that working for me come with many perks."

"Like what?" I questioned him.

"First, you will have access to the Presidential Suit, the best and most luxurious room in the world, both before and after the Great War." He acknowledged. "Second, you will have the support of my Securitrons whenever you are in The Strip. And lastly but not least, you will help me shape the future of not only the Mojave, but the entire Wasteland." So far, most of the words he spewed out of that monitor were spoken in a calculated and mathematical tone, giving him even more of a cold power-holder vibe. But there was a certain energy to these last sentences, mainly when talking about shaping the Mojave.

This guy wasn't joking around. Of what I know of the Mr. House of the Old-World, it seems to match the one I'm seeing right now. He once built one of the most powerful brands of the capitalist world, and now he plans to do the same, but this time with a city. A very remarkable goal, but I'm not sure I want to be a part of it. I'm just a damn mailman for Christ's sake. "It all sounds nice and dandy Mr. House, but I think I'll pass."

The room fell into an awkward and somewhat worrying silence, with the only sound coming from the Securitrons and their machinery. Jane, who was still right next to the terminal, looked up to the monitor, and despite not having any expression, her slow and careful movements made me a bit uneasy.

The silence was broken by a tired sigh, coming from Mr. House. "Very well. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was disappointed Mr. Tempest." He paused. I was about to ask for my leave, when he talked again. "But allow me to make a new offer."

"Thank you Mr. House, but I think I-"

"I can help you get Benny." He interrupted me by raising the volume on the speakers. Now he's done it, he caught my attention. "That's right Mr. Tempest, we all know why you're here. Luckily for you, I too want Benny out of the way. He's become a stone in my shoe, and it's time I cast him out. Or better yet, it's time you do that for me."

I still didn't say anything. If he could really help me get Benny, than I shouldn't miss that chance. But the truth is that my gut has been wrapping itself ever since I walked into this room. In other words, I have a bad feeling about this.

"It will all be for your benefit Mr. Tempest. You will take back the Platinum Chip, which I will reward with double the original pay for the delivery, and as a plus, you will get your well deserved revenge." He paused once more, probably to let me think about it some more. "So, what do you say?"

Just say no Court, a simple no will suffice. You don't his help to take Benny, you don't need his caps, and sure as hell don't need to take part in whatever crazy plan he has for New Vegas. So say no, apologize for wasting his time and get the fuck out of this place-

"… Deal."


	23. Chapter 23: Cool Cats and Daddy-O's

Chapter 23: Cool-Cats and Daddy-Os

"No going back now..." I whispered to myself, alone in that elevator box which brought me back down to the first floor. Everything pointed to today being the day I finally face Benny, if there were no interruptions of course. It's only at this moment, here, in this elevator, that reality hit me and I realized how fucking crazy my life has become. I know I already mentioned this before, but I didn't really stop to think about it. And forget all that stuff about Jason Bright, Khans, cowboy robots or mysterious casino chips; what baffles me the most is the simple fact that I have a goal, a solid, living, strong goal: Find Benny, make him talk, and then kill him.

I don't remember the last time I had something like this. For most of my life, living was just drifting from place to place, making caps wherever the opportunity showed itself. Then I joined the Mojave Express, something that just felt like a random decision at the time, and it helped that travelling was something I was already very good at. But now I realize it was just a hidden desire to obtain a sense of direction, perhaps even purpose. And now... I have an even greater purpose. Sure, killing Benny will do nothing more than fulfill my desire for revenge, but fuck it! I want to do it, and by God I will do it. Speaking of God, he's gonna have to forgive me on this one, cause I ain't going back no more.

The elevator finally dinged, and the doors opened to reveal Victor, who was standing right at the exit. "Howdy there pardner!" He exclaimed. "I see that you've made the boss man real happy up there. Am I glad to have your butt on our side!"

I didn't have the time or patience to deal with that robot, so just ignored him as I walked deeper into the casino floor. I know I've seen a bar back here, and if this place was at least as well supplied as the Penthouse, than maybe, just maybe…

Jackpot!

The many fridges were packed to the brim with all kinds of drinks, soft and alcoholic, along with some frozen fruits, most of which I've never seen before. I know, I know, I really shouldn't be drinking right now, but I'll just make myself a simple Nuka-Cola and Sarsaparilla cocktail.

A little bit of Vodka and a mix of the sodas and whabam! A sweet, cool and burning sensation.

As I sipped my drink, I took my time to overthink the info House dumped on me before I left. The man was nice enough not to let me leave empty handed, or better yet, empty minded. If word of House's spies (his Securitrons) are to be believed, The Chairman's second-in-command, a guy called Swank, isn't all on board with Benny's plans. Matter of fact, he doesn't even know Benny left Vegas to kill a Courier, take some Platinum Chip and betray Mr. House. Apparently, none of the Chairman do, they just think he left for some trip.

When my glass was empty, I dropped it into the sink and strolled to the exit. Victor waved me goodbye and wished me luck, and despite ignoring him, I decided to accept that luck. God knows I'll need it.

The Tops was a wide building with two towers on the back. Everything was painted white with blue, yellow and red neon along the corners. Long and tall windows were covered in black film, so you couldn't see inside, and the entrance was a circular section with an oval ceiling cut vertically in half. The doors were all quite busy, with people coming in and out by the second.

I strolled inside as if I was just another costumer, walking up to the reception. Before I got there, I held my necklace in my hand, trying to muster all the luck it could give me right now. Three male receptionists and four bodyguards were greeting new arrivals, and they searched and stripped everyone of their weapons before they walked further inside the building.

"That might be an issue." I thought to myself, stopping a few meters from those man.

I took a look around, analyzing the situation and forming a plan in my head. I needed to talk to Swank, and if possible, walk in there with my guns on me. It be hard, but if I could just think of something that would allow me those things… let's see, a casino with plenty of costumers to entertain, what would they need…?

Oh, I know!

"Welcome to The Tops Hotel and Casino!" The receptionist on the far left greeted me enthusiastically. "I hope a cool cat like you won't mind but we're gonna have to take your weapons from you. Don't you worry though, we'll keep 'em as safe as a Deathclaw protecting her pup."

I walked up to the desk and rested my arm on it, trying to look as calm, relaxed and most importantly, a little high. Leaning in closer to the guy, I spoke in a low tone. "Oh you won't need to do that pal, I'm just here to see Swank."

The Chairman raised an eyebrow and leaned in too. "Swank doesn't meet just anyone. Who are you to waste his time?"

"It don't matter who I am." I scolded him. "What matters is what I'm offering." His eyebrow raises further up as he becomes more suspicious and confused. I rolled my eyes made a tired face. "Chems man! I'm selling Pyscho, Jet, Mentats, you name it."

"And what makes you think we are looking to buy these things?" He asked, trying to look confident.

"Ha, you're a funny guy." I scoffed. "What good casino wouldn't be looking to increase their stocks? Or you're telling me The Tops doesn't offer such relaxing services to their costumers?"

He seemed to take offense at the suggestion, taking a more defensive tone. "No, of course we sell chems, but..."

"Look pal," I interrupted. "it's clear you're not in charge of anything here. Just let me talk to Swank, or do you want to be the one explaining to him how my large shipment of freshly cooked chems went to The Omertas, and not you?"

The Chairman fell silent. Just when I thought I had won him over, he came up with another question. "Where's the stuff then? I don't see it with you."

"What are you? Stupid?" I quickly replied. "You think I'm just gonna stroll up to The Strip, large boxes full of chems, and just bring them here so any armed thug with death wish can try steal them from me?"

He didn't know what to answer, and instead muttered a few syllables before giving up. And so the Chairman was beaten. With no more arguments to use against me, he took a tired breath and picked up a rotating phone. He dialed a number and waited just few seconds until the other side picked up.

"Hey Swank, sorry for calling in unexpectedly, but there are some guys here who say they're selling some good stuff... Yeah, he looks legit... No, I didn't get to see the stuff, but it's not like they can just walk in The Strip with it right?" A long silence fell as Swank talked some inaudible stuff on the other side of the line. Finally, the receptionist said a quick "Alright" and put down the phone. "He said he'll meet you, but no guns."

I couldn't do that! "Now hold on, how do I know you people won't attack me and try to beat the location of my stash out of me?" It wasn't the best excuse, but it was what I could come up with at the time.

The man shrugged indifferently. "Sorry daddy-o, boss's orders. Either you go in unarmed or you do go in at all."

"…Fine." If I had the time, I could have hidden my Peacemaker in a way the guards probably wouldn't notice, even if they searched me. Sadly, I didn't think of that before walking in here, and now is far too late.

After taking my three sidearms, my lever-action, and being patted up and down, over and almost out, the guards were finally satisfied; allowing me to go through.

"Alright, just follow me and I'll get you to Swank." The receptionist told me as he went deeper into the casino.

Poor me was all out of guns, which was a huge issue, but not as bad as it could have been, since my switch blade was well hidden in my vest, covered by enough cloth and leather not to be sensed.

If it came down to violence, it would have to do.

The wasteland is a very lonely place. You could go on through an entire day without seeing a single soul other than yourself, mainly when you travel a lot like me. That ain't the case when you're in New Vegas. The Tops had dozens of tables, both for eating and for playing all kinds of gambling games. Poker, Blackjack, Roulette and many others were being utilized by hundreds of tourists looking to find their fortune. Or as Mr. House would put it, they wasted their caps on the false hope of being relevant. I'm not an avid gambler, but I do like a good and old game of luck. Not the kind that can lose you thousands though, this is why I stick mostly to Caravan or a casual match of poker. Although there was that one time in New Reno when I got more drunk than I would have liked and well.. let's just say that after a couple of lucky rounds, I'm not welcome in that casino anymore.

We were in a large L shaped, two story lobby with said gambling tables on both wings, and a large circular bar stood in the middle. A slightly elevated floor circled the walls of the room, with regular tables instead of gambling ones. Waiters in all kinds of colored suits walked up, down and around with food and drinks for the costumers. The place had a white and yellow pallet along with some red and brown. It was also noisy, as you'd expect it to be. Every once in a while you could hear a cry of loss or victory, along with exited screams.

Eyeing the room, I took mental notes of things like guards and exits, just in case things took a turn for the worse. During my scan, my eyes landed on a distant but flashy set of colors, the two that I end up hearing about every time the man I'm looking for is brought into question: black and white, in checkered pattern.

There he was, the man who pulled me into whatever game of cat and mouse he and House were playing, who left me two ugly scars I'll never get rid off, who put me in that stupid chase across the desert. Benny was exactly as I saw him in my dream. Smooth black hair combed to the side and a mama's boy face with a slick smile across it. He rested against a railing that separated the elevated floor from the gambling tables, watching his costumers eat, drink and gamble. In other words, making him richer.

My first instinct was as expected: pull out my revolver and shoot the fucker in the head, like he did to me. I then remembered that wasn't even possible, since my guns were all locked away. "Court, right now ain't the time." I told myself, letting my hair fall on my face, hoping to hide myself from Benny. He may have been on the opposite side of the room from me, but I wasn't taking any chances. Then I kept on following the receptionist, until he led me to a pair of doors on the southern wing of the lobby.

It hurt to just leave like that, instead of just taking my chances and sprinting up that asshole and stabbing him in throat. But I don't think I need to tell you the seventeen reasons as to why that was a bad idea. I say seventeen because that's how many guards I counted before I walked past the door. Too many for me to deal with… at least too many to deal with alone.

"Come on, Swank is waiting for you here." We both stepped through the doorway and were now inside a stage room, like the one in The King's School of Impersonation. The curtains were blue and tall, and the stage was a little wider, but the room also contained multiple speakers, a small bar, and many tables scattered around.

With his back turned to me, a brown haired man in a completely white suit watched the stage with a glass of rum in his hand. As for the show, a brown skinned guy danced to "Jingle Jingle Jangle" with a band behind him playing said song. The dancer created a beat that followed the music as he hit the floor with his shoes, tap dancing with a lot of skill. There were also two bodyguards in black suits, resting against the walls on opposite ends of the room.

The receptionist walked ahead of me and reached the sitting man, whispering something in his ear. When he was done, he returned to me and pointed towards the table. "You can join him now. Swank is a nice guy, so treat him as he'd treat you." With that, he left the room.

I walked up to the man and sat on his table, in a position that allowed me to watch the show. "Hey there. You must be Swank." In a way, he reminded me of Benny, but think that's just because both have the same dress code and similar hair style, expect this guy wasn't as extravagant as the other. As for his face, he wasn't anything special. Your regular thirty year old gangster looking adult.

"That I am." He confirmed, moving his attention from the dancer towards me. "And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" He had a calm and friendly voice, which ironically made me more on edge than not.

"Name's Court. Pleasure." After we shook hands, he threw a nod to one of the guards, who went over to the bar. "Can I get you something, Court?"

I was going to deny, but decided to take the courtesy. "I'll skip the alcohol, but I'll take water, if you have any." He laughed casually and nodded again, and I watched the guard pull a jar of clean H2O from the fridge and pour it into a glass, before bringing it over.

"With Hoover Damn and the Colorado River so close to us, water is something we are never running short." He commented before sipping his drink.

"Yeah, I guess so." When so many people out there are dying of thirst and having to drink from radiated pools to survive, these guys cam just walk to a fridge and pour them a cold cup like it's the simplest thing in the world. Vegas was indeed something else, wasn't it? "So, about what I came here for."

"My boy told me you were very insistent. Business must be slow for yo,u huh?" I took a long drink of my water, drinking half of the cup. I then looked him the eye and let out a short laugh. "Well, here's the thing... I ain't no chem dealer."

"You're not?" He asked with another casual laugh. "That's a shame, our next shipment won't come for a while. This is some real dangerous stuff you are doing, you goof. Lying to The Chairman? That's a no-no."

I glanced at the guards, but they haven't moved an inch, so I seem to be good so far. "Sorry, it's just that if I said I was here on Mr. House's behalf, your receptionist might have kicked me out on account of using my own stash."

As I mentioned Mr. House, Swank's eyes grew and he leaned in closer, putting down his drink. "Big tickle bundie, but you better start going straight with me or might have my man over there go ape on you." His aforementioned guards stepped in a little closer to our tables in an attempt to scare me.

Despite his flurry of Old-World street slangs, I was able to get the message. "Now, now; you wouldn't wanna do that," I said, not taken back by his threat. "I'm sure you'd love to hear what I have to say about your pal, Benny. You boss has been getting real naughty and House doesn't appreciate that."

Swank went from suspicious to curious. "What do you mean?"

Slowly, I reached under my duster and pulled my switchblade. The guards immediately pulled 9mm pistols and aimed them at me. The dancer stopped his dancing and stood there, looking at us as if we were now the show, and he the audience.

"Whoa, whoa, hold now!" I shouted, quickly placing the blade down on the table. "This here is a sign of good faith," I explained, reaching into my pockets. "And this is to help prove what I'm about to tell you." I finished, placing a silver engraved lighter next to Swank's glass of rum.

"That's… Benny's lighter..." Swank gawked in disbelief. "Where did you get that?"

I smiled proudly, happy with my little victory. I think I'm getting to Benny after all. "Settle down on that chair. It's quite a story."

"I knew there was something suspicious about that private trip tale of his." Swank complained, emptying his glass of rum. "Benny might fool the other Chairman, but I know him. When he wants to do things alone, he's either fucking or killing."

"This time he tried to do both: kill me and fuck House." I told him, slamming my finger on the table. "We didn't like it one bit." I gave Swank nothing more than what he had to hear: that Benny stole from House and is conspiring against him.

"So what are you gonna do?" He asked me, but something told me he already knew the answer.

"I'm gonna give Benny a taste of his own medicine, and you're going to help me." Swank had a worried look on his face. I knew I would have to convince him some more. "You know that if Benny doesn't go, House will bring all of The Chairman down with him."

"God damn it..." he whispered to himself. "I-I'm not sure I can let this happen, I mean, Benny and I go way back. Can't we just bash ears, talk this down?"

"Is Benny the kind that can be talked down?" I questioned, and I got my answer from his expression. "I thought not. So here's what you're gonna do: take me to Benny's suite, then call him up, say you want to talk to him."

Swank was being eaten up from the inside. Betrayal ain't easy when you're not a snake, and Swank sure didn't look like one; shame the same couldn't be said about his friend. The guys was sweating cold and I could pretty much hear his brain working. It took a while, but he gave in. After standing up, he called to me and I followed his lead, after storing my switchblade and the lighter again.

The two of us strolled down the lobby and stopped in front of an elevator. "Wait here." Swank told me before heading to the reception.

A few minutes passed before he came back, his hands hiding something behind his back. I slowly shifted into stance, ready to jump him if he did anything fishy, but calmed down once I noticed all he had was my Peacemaker, ammo belt and holster. "Here, I guess you'll end up needing this heater."

"Thanks." I took all items and strapped them on me, each well hidden behind my duster, although it wasn't any different than when I wear them normally. Looking back at Swank, I noticed he didn't look too happy about giving a gun to friend's soon-to-be-killer.

"Swank..." I looked him deep in his eyes, and spoke in a sincere tone. "I'm sorry about having you do all this, but it's the only option he left us."

He sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know, I know, it's just that…" it looked like he wanted to tell me more, but quickly gave up on it. "Please, let's just get this over with. Before I change my mind."

He called the elevator and it arrived in a few seconds. Once inside, Swank pulled a silver key and placed it on a keyhole above the top buttons, giving it a short spin and pressing the last level. He turned to me gave me a quick briefing. "Alright, I'll do as you ask, I'll even get the guards away from the room, so wait a second before you leave the elevator. Now, I can't control what happens in there, but whatever you do, don't let Benny get close to you. He's quick, and he always has a switchblade on him."

"Yeah, and I heard he's good with one." I recalled my talk with House. "But thanks for the warning."

He took a deep breath. "Look, I know Benny can be bad news, and I'm sure he did some bad shit to you," his eyes creeped up to my forehead before going down again. "but he never does anything without reason, and he's as ambitious as he is clever. If he plans on taking House down, than I'm sure he knows how to."

"Swank, what are you trying to get at?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"What I'm trying to say is that it might be worth hearing him out. Just keep him away from you and I'll make sure you have all the time you need with him." He suggested. Honestly, all that sounded like deep Brahmin shit. So far, all Benny has proved to be was some shitty scumbag that would probably sell his mother if he had the chance.

"Fine." I lied. "But no matter what happens, you let me out of here safely, or this place will be swarming with Securitrons, you hear me?"

"I head ya." And so the elevator dinged. Swank walked out and I waited, holding the door. I faintly heard him dismiss two guards that were keeping watch on Benny's suite. I think chems were involved in whatever Swank told them, but I didn't care, whatever worked was fine. He soon returned and warned me that the coast was clear.

He unlocked the door's and got me inside. The place wasn't as fancy as House's penthouse, but it wasn't lacking either. A living room to the left faced a very decked out bar (every fancy-pants in this planet had a bar), and two bedrooms with large, soft beds were down towards the end, along with a common bathroom.

There was an intercom against the wall, after the entrance doors. Swank placed a finger over his lips, telling me to be quiet and dialed a few numbers, before pressing and holding the middle button. The sound of multiple distant voices echoed through the room as he spoke. "Hey, this is Swank. Is Benny there with you?"

"Yeah, he's right over here. Want me to call him over?" Someone answered.

"No, tell him it's me and he needs to come and see something in a jiffy. I'm in his suite." Swank explained.

"Alright, will do." The intercom died out and Swank turned back to me. "It's done. Now I leave it to you."

"Much appreciated Swank." I thanked him. "This is the right thing to do, you know."

He shook his head with a sad expression. "One thing I learned is that nothing people do is right. At least not anymore." And with that he left the room, looking down as he went along. Poor guy, I honestly felt a little bad for him. Truth be told, I not sure what I would have done in his place. I guess Benny ain't the best friend in the wasteland if he's willing to give him away like that.

In the living room was a red sofa that rested against the left wall. If I took a seat at it, Benny would have to walk further into the room before seeing me, but he would be too far to try and stab me. And even if he has that golden pistol of his, I doubt he can draw faster than I can shoot.

I was about to sit down when I noticed something off to the corner, next to the bar: a hat rack. Hanging on it were all different kinds of hats, all of which seemed to belong to females, but my eyes fell into a particular one.

A Western Ranger hat.


	24. Chapter 24: Ring-a-Ding-Ding

Chapter 24: Ring-a-Ding-Ding

"Come on Swank, you know I don't like people walking in into my suite." God, his voice sounded just like the one in my dream. He talked in the same style as Swank did, but instead of that friendly tone, he spoke like some too-cool-for-you lady-killer type, like some big city slick. "But I'll give you the pass. What's so important that-"

He froze as soon as he realized whoever was sitting on his sofa was not Swank. My left arm was resting over the backrest and the other one wielded my gun. My head was tilted down so the hat would obscure my face. Despite not looking directly at my target, I knew my Peacemaker was aimed straight at him.

"What in the God damn!" he shouted and began backing off, but stopped when I raised the gun at him even further.

"You know," I cocked the hammer slowly, letting the *click* sound echo through the silence. "9mm can make for one hell of a wound when it hits a human forehead." I told him as I slowly raised my head, letting the hat dramatically reveal my face. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about." I pushed the hat with the tip of my revolver, showing Benny the scars he so kindly provided me, just before aiming at his face. "But it's nothing when you compare it to magnum rounds."

He laughed nervously and raised his hands. He was about to take a step forward when I raised the gun closer to him, and he stepped back again, "Alright, alright! Let's take this smoothly, like smooth little babies."

I laughed at his line. "Seriously? Is that what you chose to open with?

"Sorry daddy-o, but that's just how I roll." He smiled even more. "Cool-cats like me gotta keep their style, even when looking at death in cold eyes. Never thought she'd look like the barrel of a Peacemaker though."

"I could say the same about your golden pistol. She's a pretty piece, maybe I'll loot it from your corpse when I'm done." I told as grimly as I could. I'll admit, I was having **way** too much fun.

"Oh no pal, Maria staying with me, even when I'm a pretty corpse." He said, as serious as he could sound. "So, what now? I don't know how you got rid of my guards, but I'm guessing no one will come for my rescue when you put a hole in me."

"You got that right." I steadied my aim and touched the trigger. I wanted to end this right here and now, just put three in his skull, make sure he couldn't come back like I did. But… this just didn't feel right. I'm not sure why I didn't just do it. Was it because Swank told me to hear him out? Was it because I was worried that my gun was loud enough to warn the guards? Or perhaps shooting him wasn't good enough of a revenge. I just feel like there was something missing.

"What's the problem baby? Finger's a little rusty?" Benny mocked me when he realized he was still alive. He shut back up once I pressed the trigger and a bullet whizzed right by his ear, hitting the wall behind him and making him throw his hands in the air. "Ok, I see your finger works just fine!"

"What's your game Benny?" I growled at the man. "You ride all across the Mojave to shoot a Courier that you just so happen to know is carrying something very important to the most powerful man in the entire Wasteland, and than hightail back home to just stand around, drinking scotch and watching the money roll."

"My game is the high stakes one baby." He replied, still with his hands in the air. "I'm guessing you haven't figured out what the Platinum Chip does, right?"

Reluctantly, I nodded. I wasn't sure if House would ever tell me, so if Benny knew what that thing is, I want to know. "Spit it out."

"Your wish is my command." He slowly reached inside his suit, watching me as he did. I wriggled my gun a bit, giving him the idea that whatever he was reaching for better not be a weapon. Luckily for me (but mostly him), he had the Platinum Chip in his finger. He laid it on his thumb and flicked the thing towards me. If his plan was for me to drop it so he had a window to run or attack, it failed since I caught it mid-flight. "That right there is not a casino chip, as you might have guessed. It's actually a data chip."

"Data chip? Like, those thing you use in terminals?" I spun the small object in my hand, analyzing the logo of the Lucky 38 engraved on the platinum casing.

"That's right baby. The most advanced you'll ever see in your whole life." He boasted, like he had the credit of making it.

"What's inside?"

He gave me shrug. "Beats me. Never got the chance to figure it out. It's not like you can shove it in any regular old terminal. You need a specific port to access the data, and so far I've only found one."

"Mr. House?" I simply asked, but to my surprise, he shook his head.

"Nope." He then spun his eyes, changing his mind about the answer. "Well, yes, there's one there too, but it's not the one that matters. No-Show must have been caught with his pants down when the bombs fell, because the one computer he needs is in a little place called Fortification Hill."

We both stared at each other, since I was at a loss of words and he was enjoying it. Fortification Hill might just be the worst place on this ravaged earth that anyone even slightly decent would want to be. "Why?" You might ask me. Simply because that's where Caesar and most of his army have set up shop, readying themselves to make another push on the Hoover Dam, which as far as anyone knows, it could happen at any second.

"An- and how do you know all this?" I stammered.

"Well baby," he smiled. "Maybe it's time I show you my little wild card."

With me walking a few feet behind him, Benny led me across his suit to the bedroom. It was a regular bedroom, not counting the large hole made on the far end wall. A soft and cool breeze poured from said hole, brushing against our faces. It led us to some sort of medium-sized machinery room, full of small and medium fans along the walls, each connected to a pipe that went into the walls.

In that room, a funny looking robot was standing. He had another unique image on his screen, but this time it wasn't a face, instead it displayed two large oval eyes over a wide cartoony smile. I feel like someone could make a card game out of all these types of Securitrons.

"Hi there!" Greeted the cheerful Securitron.

"Yes Man, meet…" Benny stopped his introduction and stared at me. "Uh, I guess I never did catch your name."

I looked at him with a face of disbelief. "You go out of your way to kill me but don't even bother to know what I'm called?"

"Sorry cat," he shrugged. "But I didn't want to make it any personal."

"Whatever. It's Court, by the way." I scoffed, turning my attention to the elephant (or robot) in the room. "And what the hell is this?"

"Allow me to introduce myself!" The Securitron sparked before Benny could say anything. "I'm a PDQ-88b Securitron, but you can call me Yes Man!" As I mentioned, he sounded very cheerful, sort of reminding me of Samantha. I shook that thought away and focused on the Bot.

"Yes man?" I questioned. "What kind of name is that?"

"It's what Benny calls me!" He answered, looking over at the man in front of my gun. He turned to me wielding a dumb smile. Yes Man then continued. "It's probably because he programmed me to be so helpful."

I tilted my head and look at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

I saw Benny drop a sweat and laugh nervously at the Securitron. "I-I think that's enough Yes-"

But the bot just ran his words over and kept on going. "I was programmed to be helpful and answer any questions I was asked, no matter the content of the question." He then turned to Benny and took on a friendly but somewhat sarcastic tone. "And I guess nobody bothered to restrict who I answer for. That was probably pretty dumb, huh?"

Benny shrugged and laughed some more, scratching his head in embarrassment. "Hey, don't look at me like that baby, It wasn't me who cracked this box of bolts."

"So, he'll answer any questions..." I said, wondering what I'd ask first. Isn't this ridiculously convenient? I mean, I thought I'd have to force whatever I wanted to learn from Benny, but now I'm being told this Securitron will just spill the beans with no restrictions? It must be my lucky day!

I gave Benny a mean stare and shook my revolver a bit. "I suggest you keep quiet and sit tight. You don't want my finger to slip while I clear some things with your friend here."

"Don't worry honey, I ain't doing a thing." He said, stepping to the side. First he starts with cat and daddy-o, then moves on to baby and now he's calling me honey? I think he's just mocking me by treating this revenge into a marriage.

"Alright Yes Man, let's start with what you're doing here in the first place." I never took my eyes and my aim off Benny, but I wanted to be sure I paid attention and got all the details I needed.

"That is a good question! You see, my function is to monitor Mr. Houses data network and decode his encrypted transmissions. That way, I can not only obtain some info on Mr. House's operations, but invade his main network and take over The Lucky 38 and all the Securitrons!"

So that's Benny's end goal, take Vegas for himself. It sounds as simple as it is complicated. "And what would Benny need to do to achieve that?"

Yes Man began bobbing up and down as he spoke, making him look like even more of a cartoon character. "Oh, just two things, really. First, he'd need to kill Mr. House, something I know for a fact would be near impossible, I mean, no one has been inside The Luck 38 for years!"

"Well…" I said, thinking of my meeting with House (or at least his big computer) earlier. "I'm sure someone can get around that."

"I wouldn't count on it. Have seen the weaponry we Securitrons have?" To prove his point, he displayed the machine guns on his arms before putting them away. "We take no prisoners! Anyway, after Mr. House is gone, all that's left to do is plug me into the mainframe and I'll have control over everything. And since I have to obey anyone who commands me whether I like it or not, whoever has me and The Lucky 38 also has New Vegas and pretty much all of the Mojave!"

Jesus, I wasn't sure if the idea of that much power was scarily inviting or just plain scary. I just know for fact that I would not like to see someone like Benny behind that giant computer screen. Great, now the image of Benny's small face (it was weirdly unproportional when compared to his head) on that huge screen was burned in my mind.

"I see. Now how does the Platinum Chip fall into all this?"

Yes Man scratched his chassis, like he was thinking really hard about something. "Well, none of us know what the Chip really is, expect that it's some sort of advanced storage device, like a holotape but a thousand times better. As for what's in it though… I can't be sure, but Mr. Houses transmissions made it sound like they can upgrade his defenses somehow." Great, as if House wasn't powerful enough. "But again that's just a guess, since you need special hardware to read the data."

"Which are in Fortification Hill and The Lucky 38?" I asked him, based on what Benny told me. If there were actually more that he was hiding from me, Yes Man would tell.

"That's right!" He answered, leaving me very disappointed. "They're not the best places in the world, are they?"

No shit. But I don't know why I was complaining so much. What do I care of computer chips, special ports or taking over Vegas? I should just pop Benny here and now, do myself and the world a favor... although… watching him drip with sweat as I uncover his well elaborated plan was a truly awarding experience. It almost made the trip here worth it.

Almost.

"You mentioned you're the one to decrypt House's transmissions." I don't know much about these sciency words, but I was trying to build some logic here. "Does that mean you know the messages he sends and receives?"

"That's right!" He cheered. I was about to give him another question, but he just went ahead and answered it for me. "That's how I knew about the multiple couriers, that six of them were just carrying random junk, and one was carrying the Platinum Chip. I even knew their designated routes! I knew aaaaall that. Pretty smart huh?" He was awfully proud of that. I, on the other hand, was almost bursting.

Keeping my cool, I looked at Yes Man straight in his monitor. "So that Courier has you to thank for getting shot in the head, huh?" Benny threw a quick glance at me, then settled his eyes on Yes Man, worried about his robot's response, which he knew wouldn't be good.

"Hahahaha" He laughed shrotly. "He does! I bet he never saw Benny coming. Imagine the look on his face when they jumped him!"

By that point, I was almost trying to kill Yes Man with my stare. I know he's a robot with no responsibility for his actions, but now he was just making fun of a dead person, and that person was me!

"I don't need to imagine." I simply replied.

"Oh man! You were there?" He asked, like a kid nagging his papa for a story. Benny was shaking his head left and right, trying to send Yes Man the message, but the Securitron just wouldn't see it.

"I sure was." I told him, with the most sarcastic grin in the world. My teeth were as clenched as they could get. "Matter of fact, I am the Courier Benny shot."

The room fell into silence for a few seconds, as Yes Man stared at me with that permanent smile on his screen, making it impossible to determine what he was expressing right now. Benny on the other hand looked like just witnessed a time bomb reach zero.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" He suddenly burst into a frantic laugh, tilting backwards and hugging his chest. "Oh – oh boy, aren't you a funny one. I know that's not true, because you still have a head!"

No one else was laughing. While Benny was clenching his muscles to the point that he looked ready to pop, I looked at Yes Man with eyes that would scare a Alpha Deathclaw.

"I'm serious." Was all I had to say.

Yes Man backed off, almost reaching the wall. "Haha…hah... hah… That's not funny… you… getting shot in the head." We all remained silent again, until Yes Man decided that wasn't enough of an apology. "I really shouldn't have taken so much pride in how I set that up, huh? I… I feel really bad right now." He tilted his torso down, being sustained by the thin and flexible pole that connected him to his wheel.

"So," Benny broke his silence, getting everyone's attention. "I thinks it's safe to say bucket-head here told you more than enough, huh?"

"I'd say that there is not such thing as enough," I replied. "But yeah, I think I'm good for now."

"Happy to hear that, baby-doll." He finished with a slick smile.

It's cute how he thinks he's tricking me with his kind words and the weird Securitron. These things, they're distractions, distractions to make me forget why I came here in the first place, or to give him enough time to think of something. Benny was clinging to a tiny strip of hope, trying what he can to come out alive at the end, and crushing that hope would be the most satisfying thing I'd do all day. "Welp, thanks for at least showing me why you tried to kill me, Benny. I guess it's as good of a farewell gift as you can give." I thanked him as I leveled my Peacemaker with his forehead.

"Whoa! Now hold on!" He shouted, stumbling backwards until he reached the wall. "Are you really just gonna kill me after all you just heard?"

I gave a quick frown and shrug. "Well… yeah. I mean, what else would I do? I don't think you understand how infuriating it was to wake up with two scars and find out some dickhead tried to kill you over what seemed to be nothing more than a small trinket."

"Look, I'm sorry cat, I guess I really did fuck things up between us." He tried to argue. "But I swear if I knew you were such a ride, I wouldn't have done what I did."

"I think you meant that if you knew I'd survive, you wouldn't have put two in my skull, right?" I argued back. "Face it Benny, you made a gamble, and you lost. Not me though, I've got a pile of caps from House and some sweet revenge to win from this. Do us both a favor and die with dignity."

And so things come to an end. Benny finally gets what he deserves after all this time. Like House mentioned earlier, I've come along way for this, and now it's time I finally get to enjoy it. Say goodbye to the land of the living Benny, and say hello to my bullet.

I was just about to pull the trigger when out of nowhere, a hand reached from behind my back and grabbed me by the wrist. That same hand pulled it upwards and twisted, shooting pain up my arm.

"Aaaaargh!" I roared, doing what I could to react to the attack, but I was quickly kicked in the back of the knee and pulled back by the neck. My wrist was twisted to the point that I was forced to let go of my gun and the attacker took no delay in kicking it across the room.

For a second, I thought I was done for. I fucked up, took too long with my revenge, and this is my punishment for letting Benny stall me. But those thoughts died when the attacker let me go, dropping me to the floor. I landed on my side, and quickly turned my head to see what was going on. Above me, a USP .45 with a suppressor attached to the muzzle was pointing straight at Benny.

Hey, that's' my kill! I not did walk all this to have someone else take it from me. Looking over at the man in checkered suit, he began running to the opposite end of the room, messing with something attached to his wrist. It was a black device, kind of like a watch but a little bigger. He quickly pressed a button, and his hand began to turn invisible.

A Stealth Boy!

The mysterious attacker took a few shots at Benny, but by that time, all we could see of him were his feet, who were still in the process of disappearing. Whether it was luck or skill, he managed to avoid the bullets, escaping through a metal door opposite to the hole we entered through.

"Fuck!" I shouted, still on the floor. Before I could get up, the attacker jumped over me and began his chase. Before disappearing through the door, I took as good of a look at him as he allowed me. The guy wore a long duster, similar to mine, but somewhat bulkier and heavier. On his head was some sort of metal helmet with an antenna on the side, but since I couldn't see the front, I did not recognize the type.

With all my energy, I stood up and joined the chase. Past the door was a white corridor with worn out tiles that it went to both ways. I first turned right, and saw nothing but the end wall and a few doors, but when I turned left, I was met with an empty (at least it looked empty) elevator close, as the mysterious man aimed between the crack. An almost silent click echoed through the corridor when the man took a shot, and inside the elevator blood splattered from thin air against the back wall.

"Argh, fuck!" Benny's voice boomed from the elevator, and from the point of impact, I saw Benny's wounded shoulder become visible for a second, before turning transparent again. The elevator's door finally shut, and the box could be heard as it descended the building.

The mysterious stranger turned to me, with a red visor over his eyes and a gas mask covering the rest of the face. Below the duster was a medium-duty ballistic vest, along with long sleeved black shirt and jeans pants.

This is not the first time I see a NCR Ranger, Ghost from the Mojave Outpost, for example, is one of them. But this is the first time I see their famous tactical armor in person. It's all over posters and propaganda of course, since it looks so menacing but incredibly cool at the same time. I hear it's very effective too, it's vest being able to stop most low caliber rounds, not to mention the multi-purpose visor that's supposed to do a bunch of useful stuff.

Gotta say, I'm glad this Ranger isn't here for me, since I'd likely not survive a confrontation with the NCR's best. I was just wondering who was this guy, why was here, and why did he try to kill Benny. Questions I'd have to save for late though, since the Ranger just ran past me and back into the maintenance room.

"Hey, hold on!" I shouted, following the guy.

He stopped in front of Yes Man and pointed the pistol at him. "Where does that elevator go?" I was surprised to hear a slightly distorted female voice. Funny how I assumed the Ranger was a dude, but in my defense, the armor and duster make it very difficult to identify sex-related characteristics.

"Whoa!" Yes Man sparked in surprise. "You can lower that gun buddy. I'd give you the answer whether I was threatened or not!"

The Ranger remained in the same stance, but neared the gun to Yes Man's visor. "Talk." She simply said, with a cold tone.

"I don't know!" Yes Man pleaded, scared shitless of this strange woman. "Benny had me deactivated when he moved me here, and haven't left this room for months! If I had to guess though, I'd say it leads out of the casino, maybe through some hidden exit."

The Ranger once again remained still. I stepped to her side, but with enough distance between us to make me comfortable. "Pretty sure he's telling the truth. It's part of his programming to-"

"I know," The Ranger interrupted. "I heard your whole conversation."

"Wait, what?" I asked, looking back at the whole leading into the bedroom. "Were you eavesdropping on us?" Just who the hell was this woman?

"I've been followin' you since ya left The King's school, Court." She said, with a remarkable western accent.

Oh come on… there is no way… although, this explains a lot.

Ahyoka removed her helmet and hugged it by her side, giving me a scolding look, like a mother disappointed with her child. "You've gotta watch your six more often, Court. Not that it would have helped you much, no one ever sees me coming."

"Why are you here?" I asked her, anger reverberating through my voice. "Why did you stop me from killing Benny? What the fuck are you wearing?" Too many questions for not a lot of patience. She may have helped us back in Freeside, but Yoke is a mystery almost as big as the Platinum Chip.

"God, you really are an amateur, aren't ya?" she mocked me, putting her helmet back on. With her slightly distorted voice, she continued her judgement on me. She took cover next to the hole on the wall and peeked to make sure no one was coming. "Were you actually goin' to shoot that big six-shooter of yours?"

"I was thinking of beating him to death or straggling him with that ugly suit of his," I argued. "But decided that killing him the same way he tried with me was more poetic."

"Oh Lord…" She sighed, bringing her hand over her visor. "You don't you see why he brought you here in the first place?"

"Of course I did." I told her, not seeing where she was going. "He was trying to distract me, stall, buy himself some time."

"Right, and you fell for that." She laughed ironically and pointed at the fans in the room. "Court, this is a ventilation room. These pipes are connected to pretty much every level of this buildin'. You let that revolver of yours bark, it's gonna echo for almost every Chairman from here to the lobby to hear."

"Ohhhh." Yes Man let out in surprise. "She got you there buddy."

I pointed my finger at him." You, shut up." I then turned that same finger at Yoka. "And you still didn't have the right to stop me. I've spent the whole week chasing that son-of-a-bitch. Do you have any idea how hard that was.

"I might have an idea." She quickly spewed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Crossing the room, she reached Yes Man and addressed him. "You're supposed to obey anyone right? Then stay right here, don't leave until I order it otherwise."

Yes Man scratched his chassis and sounded a little worried. "As much as I'd love to do that ma'am, I'm afraid I'd have to listen to any orders I'm given, despite of who's giving them. If someone found me and told me to leave, I'd be obligated to."

"Well then, we better hope no one finds you here. Bringin' you home would attract too much attention." Yoka was clearly planning something. "Do you know how to limit the people you answer to?"

"I have no idea!" He cheered, which was an unusual reaction. "I mean, there was woman from Fort Mormon who cracked me in the first place, but don't ask me her name or anything else, I was deactivated through most of the process."

"Alright, we'll keep an eye out for her." Yoka finished, walking into the bedroom

"Whoa, now hold on!" I sparked, following the woman. "We? Yoka, what the hell are you planning?"

"Oh, me?" She asked, walking out into the corridor and reaching the elevator, checking every corrner before doing so. "Nothing much, just trying to save Vegas."

Yoka didn't give me a lot of talk, instead she ordered me to do a few things and left the Tops, ignoring all the questions I barked at her, like why does she have Ranger Armor, where did she get her training, what does she want with Yes Man, how is she going to make up for delaying my revenge, amongst many others.

First, she told me to explain what happened to what she called "my inside man", which I assumed was Swank. Then, she wanted me to make sure no one would find or even know about Yes Man, not even Mr. House. The fact that she knew about him just proves that she's been following me inside The Strip too. Lastly, she wanted me to tell House Benny managed to escape, but to show him that I got the Chip. After all that, she told me to meet her back at the Tasunke Stables.

Now, I just want to point out the fact that I wasn't going to do these things because she ordered me to, but because they just so happen to be the best course of action. We parted ways in the main lobby of the Tops, and as soon as she was out of sight, I went to do the only thing that made sense after all I've been through for the last couple of hours.

I sat on the bar and ordered a drink.

Hanging round in my arch-nemesis's casino was probably one of the worst ideas I had all day, and today was littered with horrible ideas. But hey, can't blame a man for being thirsty. My inquisitive mind decided to try something new, so I ordered one of those fruity cocktails I saw some tourists drinking. The drink the barman brought me was called "Good Rockin' ", and if the menu was to be believed it contained whiskey, Nuka Cola and some banana yucca fruit juice. At first, I enjoyed it quite a lot, but by the end of the glass I was feeling somewhat sick as the drink was too sweet for my taste. I guess I'm raw drink kind of guy.

"Hey Jonas," someone called the barman as he took a seat to my right. "This man's drink is on me." I turned expecting to see Benny on the stool, holding his gun to my head. Half glad and half disappointed, I was actually met with Swank, who eyed me with a depressed but somewhat relieved expression. "So… is it done?"

"Heh… not really" I let out, giving my cocktail the last sip. "Benny has got to have run out luck by now though."

"He… he got away?" Swank muttered, and I could see he that he wondered why he was more scared than relieved.

"He did." I answered. "There were some… complications, and he escaped through a back elevator. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

Swank took a while, but finally shook his head in denial. "Sorry, but Benny could be anywhere in Vegas by now, if he hasn't skipped town by now. As for what he's planning, I'm sure you have a better idea than I do. Maybe…" He was lost in a thought he wouldn't get out of soon.

"Maybe what Swank," I pressure him. "I need all I can get here."

"… Look, I never thought Benny would be crazy enough to attempt it… but for a long time now, he's been muttering to me on our private meetings about a dream he had, a dream about an independent Vegas."

"An independent…" I whispered to myself, thinking it all over my head. "What do you mean? Vegas is already independent isn't it?"

"In a way, yes." He began explaining. "The NCR had it's eye on it ever since they found it, and we all know Caesar is itching to burn this place to the ground, but House's Securitron Army has kept both at bay for years. But with the Legion so close to the Damn, who knows what might happen…" He got lost in thought again, but quickly came back to me. "But what tickled Benny the most wasn't the Bull or the Bear, it was House. He never liked authoritarian figures, we all came to learn that after he killed our previous leader."

"He was planning to do the same with House, you know." I commented, reminding him of who his allegiance lies with.

"Of course, I'm sure of that now." He concluded. "But we keep referring to him in the past tense as if he was dead. Benny is out there, and he is far from done."

Swank ran his hand along his short hair before ordering a martini from the bar. I could see some sweat run down his neck as he gulped the drink in one go.

"You worried he knows you betrayed him?" I deduced, using a calm voice in order to calm him down.

"Oh, I'm sure he know what I did." He replied, cleaning his neck with a handkerchief he grabbed from his front pocket. "But I doubt Benny will ever come back to New Vegas, not after betraying House. He's never told this to anyone, but I know for a fact he's afraid of the man upstairs. They think he respects him, but he acted all loyal just to cover the truth. I should have known this was coming."

"Then what are you afraid of?" I indulged again. "If I'm not mistaken, The Chairman belong to you now."

"That's just the thing," he concluded. "I don't even think I'm ready to lead us, I mean, Benny has been doing for years, and I've lost count of how much shit he got into. I know for a fact I won't be able to hold out for as long as he did."

The guy was completely destroyed. His self-esteem was buried six feet under, and he had no hope in his own abilities. Maybe he was just shaken about his friend's betrayal, but I wished to put Swank back on the rails. Not only because it was the right thing to do, but because I could work it in my favor.

"Look Swank," I gave him a little squeeze on the shoulder to lift his spirts up. "things are going to be much easier now that Benny is gone, alright. House will be glad to know you helped me set The Chairman straight again, so he'll help ease things up for you." I wasn't sure whether the things I said would come true or not, but Swank sure seemed to believe so.

"Yeah…" He whispered. "I guess you're right." His raised his head and allowed himself to smile a bit. I felt a little guilty, setting his reassurance up on a lie, but it would have to do. "You tell House The Chairman are as loyal to him as in the old days."

"Will do." I assured him. "I do need you to promise me something though." He became a little nervous again, but I countered that with a friendly smile and tone. "There is something in Benny's bedroom we can't take right now, but we'll be sure to retrieve it as soon as we can. It belonged to Mr. House before Benny stole it, thing is, House would have preferred if it remained a secret. What I'm trying to tell you here is simple: Don't let anyone into that room, not even yourself. Got it?"

He swallowed dry and nodded a couple of times, sweating once again. I failed in keeping him calm, so I decided fear would be my best bet here. "It's best I remind you that House and I will know if you break this promise." I stood up from my stool and offered him my hand. Reluctantly, he shook it. "Well then, I think we're done for today. Thank you for the drink, friend."

"Ahh, Mr. Tempest. I do hope you have some good news for me." Instead of a polite greeting, House jumped straight to the point. I was back at the living room with the massive terminal, staring at that overwhelming face of his.

"I got one alright, but it's followed by a bad one." I answered. I searched my surroundings for a place to sit down, but the room was as empty as before, with the exception of the Securitrons. Jane was right next to Mr. House, and this time, another female Securitron, this one with blond short hair was on the opposite side of the terminal.

"One must face life's obstacles before enjoying it's pleasures." He dialogued like a movie character. "Do share the bad news first."

I wasn't sure how House would react to failure, but he has shown to very controlled so far. "To put it simply, Benny got away. I had him cornered in his room, but I missed a Stealth Boy he was hiding." It was obvious that mentioning Yoka would be a bad idea.

"That is most disappointing Mr. Tempest." He didn't sound disappointed though. "I do hope that will not be a major set back to my plans."

"That depends," I replied, pulling a small and cylindrical object from my vest "will this be of any use?"

House remained silent for a few seconds, probably gloating over the Platinum Chip he's been awaiting for who knows how long. "Splendid, you have done a very good job Mr. Tempest, you and I might have a great future ahead of us." As soon as he was done with that, Jane rolled over to my side, a large bag in her hands. Mr. House resumed speaking. "As promissed, double your original pay, plus a little extra, hopefully to cover the expenses of your trip."

As I took the bag in my hands, I almost dropped it to the floor. It was so heavy! There must be at least two-thousand caps in here. The money rattled as I shook it up and down, producing the sweet song of riches.

"Well, Mr. House," I began with a and uncontrollable smile on my face. Greed was one hell of a sin, wasn't it? "If the pay keeps on like this, I might just give up the Courier gig."

"I would advise against that, since in a way, you will be delivering my will to all of the wasteland." House was a fan of his metaphors wasn't he? "Before we move on to your next task, I'd like to remind you the presidential suit is available for you and your… companions." I froze as he spilled that last word. "On that topic, where have they gone? Maybe if you had them along with you, Benny wouldn't have escaped your grasp."

How does he know? I've never even mentioned the guys when I talked to hi-

Christ the Almighty Court, are you really that stupid? It was Victor, you dumbass, House has been keeping an eye on you ever since you got your hands on this stupid Chip. There is no way to tell what he does or doesn't know about me. I didn't like the idea of being watched, so maybe I'd just have to keep my eyes open some more.

Jumping back to reality, I stared at House's monitor. "I've decided to part ways with those guys… I work better alone."

"Hmn…" He hummed to himself. "Maybe that is the case, but I am not so sure. I will be straight with you Mr. Tempest, you will likely face many dangers while you work for me, so I recommend you bring as much help as you can. And if Victor has told me things correctly, you and your friends work well together."

"That's not for you to judge, House." I wanted to tell him, but decided it was in my best interest to keep my mouth shut.

"Anyway," he continued. "I'll leave the field work to you."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best." Shaking this conversation from my head, I opened my palm where the Platinum Chip was and raised it towards House. "I'm guessing that you will want this back."

"Not quite, Mr. Tempest." He answered, to my surprise. "The Chip will be a key object in your next task. If have not discovered this by yourself already, what you have in your hands is an advanced data storage unit, the most advanced the world has ever seen."

I did my best to act surprise, since as far as I wanted House know, Benny never explained that to me and Yes Man doesn't even exist. "A data storage… like a holotape?"

"Precisely"

"I see… so, what's inside?"

"I am glad you asked." He sparked lightly. As I've mentioned before, House only shows some sort of emotion when talking about his plans. "As I'm sure you are aware, my Securitrons are a force to be reckoned with. They are the reason Vegas is not in NCR control and the reason Caesar has not burned this city to the ground and hanged everyone on crosses." His description brought my mind back to Nipton. I then imagine the same thing I saw in that small town but in a much larger scale. Hundreds of tourists, courtesans, casino workers and bosses hanged in crosses and displayed along The Strip, as Legionares in their red football armor marched down the wide street, proud of their massacre. At the end of it all, I saw Vulpes, the man in a fox cowl who called himself a Frumentarii, Caesar's greatest spies. He grinned widely as he stood over his army. Even though I knew such army did not belong to him, but to Caesar, my mind would still see Vulpes when I thought of the Legion. Maybe it's because I haven't met their "great" leader yet, so when looking for a face to represent that great evil, I'd look for the closest thing to it.

House resumed his speech, bringing me back to reality. "I'm sure my Securitrons will manage to keep the Bear and the Bull at bay for a couple more years, but they would not survive the battle to come."

"Battle?" I questioned, raising and eyebrow. I'm not sure why I decided to play the fool here, I knew exactly what he meant.

"The Legion has set up camp across the Colorado River, and the Republic sends more soldiers to the front lines every day Mr. Tempest. The second battle for the Hoover Damn is coming, and nothing will stop that from happening."

"God have mercy on us all." Jane, who has been quiet all this time, murmured those words in fear.

"If Mr. Tempest does his job correctly, there will be nothing to fear." House assured her, which wasn't much of a calmer for me, since whatever he had in mind was up to me to complete, and I'm sure it won't be a walk in the park. "To finally answer your question, the Chip contains the complete data for my new Mark II operating system." He boasted with a short pause. "Although new is not quite appropriate. I created this upgrade just before the war began, and sadly, the destruction of the world has kept it from me for these two centuries. Until I was able to dig it up and had you bring it over for me, that is."

"So that's what I was carrying all along?" I questioned him. "An operating system?... Wait, what's an operating system?" Did I ever mention I was shit with technology?

House let out a short sigh and murmured something. "We can't all be scholars. An OS is a software designed to manage any sort of hardware, such as terminals or in the case of the Mark II, Securitrons."

I… think I understood that. I guess I took too long trying to make out some of the words, because Mr. House decided to explain with simpler words.

"To put it simply, my robots are equipped with much more than just machine-guns Mr. Tempest, but their inferior operating system, the Mark I, does not know how to manage their other forms of weaponry. The Mark II on the other hand, will unlock powerful capabilities, powerful enough to ensure our victory in the battles to come."

Alright, I'm sure I got it all now. "So, the Chip makes the Securitrons stronger, I get that now. So why don't you just do it already?" Once again, I already had those answers from Yes Man, but House mustn't know that.

"The Chip is one of a kind Mr. Tempest, but so is the terminal that reads it. While I can use it to some extent here in the Lucky 38, it's true purpose can be found in only one place…" he stopped, surely aware of the weight the place said terminal was found in carried. I had to hold myself not say the name with him. "The Fort."

Faking surprise once again, I widened my eyes and let my jaw fall loose. "You mean… the place you want to send me… is surrounded by Legion."

"Not surrounded." He explained, like it made a difference. "Covered. The place you seek is an underground bunker."

"That doesn't help much, House." I complained, starting to lose my respect for the guy.

"I am aware of that Mr. Tempest." He refuted, his voice a little louder. "Let me offer you some guidance then. First, stop being stubborn and find your companions again, you will require their assistance. Second, it's worth remembering that despite your well justified hate for the Legion, they have no quarry against you. You are a healthy male human, and for as long as you are capable of hiding any… unfavorable sexual preference, at least by Legion standards, you should be able to approach them with no issue. Perhaps you can pose as a fresh recruit for them, I'm sure an opportunity will arise." Great, so he's basically saying that I am Legion material. Not the best as far as compliments go.

"No matter how I do it House, it won't be easy, and it sure as hell won't be safe." I contested. After what happened to Nipton, I doubt I'd be able to hold myself from strangling the first Legionary I see "As a matter of fact, I don't even think it's worth doing."

Just when I said that, Jane grabbed another bag from behind House's terminal, this one almost twice the size of the one I received. She dropped it at her wheel, creating a rattling sound loud enough to echo through the room. "Are you sure about that honey?" The lady Securitron questioned.

"Uhh… maybe I spoke too soon." I'd be risking my neck harder than I have ever done before with this mission… but the amount of caps laid out before me was enough to retire for decades! And screwing the Legion was kind of a reward in itself.

I took me a long time to come to a conclusion. I weighed my chances and possibilities against the payoff. Was the money really worth the danger? I didn't really feel like dying… but I didn't really feel like just walking away either. I've been doing it my whole life, haven't I? Leaving everyone and everywhere I meet and go behind, like they never meant anything to me. I've even done it recently, with Daniel and Samantha, and I guess Yoka too.

But I had a chance to recover now. Yoka is waiting for me at the stables, and Daniel might still be in Freeside, looking for a job. We can after Samantha too, she is probably heading for Westside, to meet her dad.

But Court… you'll just be putting them in danger too… didn't you leave them so that wouldn't happen to them? Isn't that the point of travelling alone, the point to not sticking in the same place forever…

…Yes… yes, that is the point, but has it been working for me so far? Fuck no it hasn't. Being alone got me shot in the head, it almost got me killed by Nighkin, and god knows what could have happened if Yoka hadn't stopped me from alerting the whole Tops.

It's settled then. "Alright House, I'll do it, but under one condition."

"Name your price." He simply said.

"Once we move into the Presidential suit, we get free room service."


	25. Chapter 25: Fixin'

Chapter 25: Fixin'

This day was going to be a busy one for sure. I had many plans formulating in my mind, most of them involved getting into The Fort without having to face and army of well dressed football players. House's plan of pretending to be a recruit was probably the best so far, but forgive me if I didn't want to roleplay a sadistic asshole. I also doubt I'd be able to sneak in and out of their camp, but I'll keep an eye out for any Stealth Boys, just in case.

And as for today, let's go through it step by step though, and first in line is Ahyoka. I'm sure she and I have many things too discuss.

I was just about to stroll down the Strip when my belly rumbled loudly enough to wake up the dead. It was only then that I remembered I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's party. It's not like me to skip breakfast, but I was kind of in a hurry this morning. Thankfully for me, New Vegas is littered with all kinds of street vendors, most of which sold food. On the pavement, right outside a place named "Eden's Garden" which was just across from The Lucky 38, a small stand with two grills was placed before a couple of plastic chairs and tables. A short and chubby man with a hairy mustache and Arabic features cooked some meat-sticks on said grills, letting the smell of seasoned meat carry me to his stand.

"Great day for some steak, eh?" said the Arabic man, with was likely his opening card. He wore blue and white stripped shirt, a long white smeared apron, and to top it all off, a tall cooker's cap "What will it be for you, friend?"

"Uh… let's see…" There were plenty of options laid out on the grills, and a couple more on the menu. These prices screamed tourist traps, but they were definitely better than the stuff the casinos had to offer, and it's not like I was lacking caps, at least not anymore. "I'll take two Brahmin sticks and uhhhh… oh, I'd love a some Bighorner ribs."

"Coming right up!" He smiled and jumped into work, flipping some patties and turning the meat with impressive agility. I love to cook whenever I get the chance, so I know there's a certain art to making food, and I already recognized this man as an artist. As the meat roasted and the fat dripped, he added all kinds of seasonings and herbs to the meat, some of which I didn't even recognize. Maybe this guy and I should trade recipes later.

When the food was done, he dropped it all on a plate and slid it across the counter, which stopped right in front of me with calculated precision. I had to be careful not to drool all over the meat, because by God it smelled amazing!

"Oh man, this looks so good." I thought out loud.

The cook must have caught that, because he laughed from his position on the grill. "Hahahah, I'm glad you like it. Please, take a seat and eat, nothing pleases me more than to see my costumers satisfied!"

And I was about to do just that, but before I made for the tables, I gave the man one question. "Might I ask whose food I had the pleasure of consuming?"

He turned to me and grew a wide, fat smile. "I am Amjad, friend. Enjoy the food, and please, do come back."

Being interrupted during a nice meal is somewhere on top of "the most infuriating things in life" list, at least in my humble opinion.

There I was, sitting all alone in that plastic table, stuffing myself with was possibly the best meat I had ever tasted in my whole life, when a strange man in a brown suit and fedora took a seat on my table, right across from me.

He just sat there, head down so the fedora covered his eyes. He didn't utter a word or move a muscle. He just **sat** there!

I remained frozen in place, slowly chewing on my food. My mouth was too stuffed to say anything, so it took a little while before I was able to swallow. " *Gulp*… uh… can… I help… you?" I muttered slowly, too confused with the situation I was in right now.

"Oh, please, do not mind my presence." Spoke a calm and soothing, but at the same time cold voice, a voice I had already heard before, one I never thought I'd hear again, because I didn't want to. A voice I was sure I would never forget. "I will await as you finish your meal. I must say, the smell is quite intoxicating."

The man raised his head, revealing a long, slightly wrinkled complexion with a thin shin, pointy ears and deep, brown eyes. He was wearing googles and a fox cowl when I first met him, but the rest of his face was embedded in my brain, as strong as the bullet scars in my head.

Casually sitting across from me was Vulpes Inculta, Frumentarii of Caesar's Legion.

As fast as I could, I reached for my Peacemaker and aimed it at him below the table.

Vulpes wriggled his indicator left and right. "Upupupupup, not now profligate, or would you prefer it if I called you Court Tempest?"

He smiled as I frowned with anger. "Listen here dickhead, you're going to tell me what are you doing here, how do you know my name, and why I shouldn't put a bullet in you, right here, right now."

"Two of those questions can be answered just by looking around, Mr. Tempest." He said, subtly pointing around us, at the other costumers. Most of them dressed similarly as Vulpes, and all stared at me with cold or angry eyes. Vulpes snapped his finger twice, and all those people looked away from me, engaging in some regular activity like eating, talking or reading. "Now, violence won't be necessary, I did come here only to talk after all."

Talk? What could I possibly have to talk about with this monster? "What do you want?" I asked him through grinded teeth.

"I think a better question is what do **you** want Mr. Tempest, or better yet, what does the man up in the tower wants."

God fucking damn it. Of course he knows about me and House. "Let me guess, you were spying on me."

"That's is what I do best." He smiled proudly. "But of course, I'm not alone in this task. The Legion has eyes and ears all over the Mojave. We've been watching you ever since you left Nipton. It feels like quite some time, doesn't it?"

"Why?" I asked, ignoring his question. Giving him any pleasure was the last of my intentions.

"At first, we just wanted to see how you and your ghoul would react. To no surprise, you two did exactly as we expected, warning that NCR Ranger and moving on. Despite that, I decided to keep an eye on you too for a little while longer, and I must admit, you peaked my interest after what happened the REPCONN Test Site. I still don't believe what my scouts reported." He sat up straight, both hands on his lap.

You better believe it, asshole. At least that's what I wanted to say. But instead, I said: "What then?"

"Well, I was around the area and judged it would be better to see you with my own eyes, and might I say, I was most impressed. The show you've provided me in Boulder City was spectacular."

Every word he spilled out of his mouth made me angrier, but the idea that he was there at the massacre was the most infuriating thing of all. I could picture him laughing as the Khans were being gunned down.

"So I was just show for you?" I almost shouted at him, granting a few looks from Vulpes's friends. "I'd think the Legion had better people to spy."

"Funny you'd say that," he smiled even more. His smile was so thin and wide it was almost like a snake with teeth. "I was thinking the same thing. I thought that maybe you were just a drifter with an a very twisted luck." His comment brought up the memory of when Doc Mitchell's Vigor Tester broke down after attempting to measure my Luck. The Pip-Boy still displayed a different number every second on the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. screen.

"What changed your mind?"

He pointed his finger across the street, to the Lucky 38. "You walked in there. You walked into the one place no one has been in centuries like it was nothing." Weirdly enough, he sounded surprised, and not only that but he looked impressed too. "I won't even bother asking you why or how, but I'm sure it was on Mr. House's request. I have no doubt that you are working with him, and that sooner or later, that will bring you to our territory, namely The Fort."

"… You know of the bunker?" I asked, worried that it was too late for Mr. House's plan.

He gave me a look of victory, one I imagine a spider gives a fly when she sees it entangled in her web. "We do, but you mustn't worry, it's still as locked as the day we found it. It was designed to withstand all the nukes of the Old-World, so whatever we have has been of no help in getting inside."

Good. That means the plan is still up. "And you're telling me all this because…?"

"Is it not obvious?" He mocked, turning his palms up in a _are you serious?_ sign. "Caesar wants what's inside, or better yet, he wants it destroyed. Whatever kind of technology House has hidden down there is surely a sin to this world. Probably another mean to kill his enemies while he sits in his luxurious casino."

They want to destroy Mr. House's tech? "Wouldn't it be better if you just took what is in the bunker to use against him?" I don't think it was wise to discuss strategy with the Legion, but my damn curiosity keeps getting the best of me.

"A war must be fought in blood, Mr. Tempest." He began lecturing as if he had it all memorized. "If not, the cost of human life is brought down to a point where it stops mattering all together. That is the lesson humanity taught itself when it brought down Armageddon." He turned his head towards a Securitron patrolling in the distance. "It seems as House has forgotten that lesson."

He sort of raises a good point. If killing someone was as easy as pushing a button, which in plenty of cases, it is, life would mean nothing. It's even worse when the killer is free of consequences, and people like that usually come in the shape of the powerful. Man like House, Caesar and Kimball are surrounded by man (or robots) willing and commanded to die for them. What is the life of a person in their eyes?

On the other hand, if the same button was laid in front of someone good, righteous, someone like God himself… then maybe it would be good to have that power. Evil could finally be cleansed of this wasteland… and maybe people would finally have a shot at a good and peaceful life.

"I think I see the picture here." I finally concluded. "You think I can open the bunker for you, so you can destroy it."

Vulpes nodded with that rattlesnake smile of his. "Glad to see we are now on the same page Mr. Tempest." He stood up from his chair and shoved his hand into his coat. A second later he pulled out a steel chain with a small iron square in one end, and then placed it right in front of my plate. The square was engraved with the Legion's insignia: A bull in a running pose viewed from the side.

"What's this?" I recoiled in my seat, eyeing the strange necklace. "You giving me presents now?"

"It is a gift, yes," he explained. "One you will need once you decide to come to us. This is the Mark of Caesar, and will allow you safe passage through our territories."

"And what makes you think I will come to you?" I challenged him.

He let out a creepy little laugh as he turned his back to me. "Simple," He said, turning his head to the left so I could see his grim smile. "you don't have a better choice. Go to Cottonwood Cove when you make up your mind, and do remember to wear the mark. We wouldn't want to mistake you some random traveler to be preyed upon."

With that, he walked away from the tables, quickly disappearing into the crowd. One by one, his spies inconspicuously left their places and too merged into the wave of tourists. I was now left alone, with an ugly necklace and a plate of now cold food.

What a lunch.

I'm sure the angst and anxiety that visit left me messed up my hunger. I couldn't eat anything for the next ten minutes, and instead just kept poking the meat as thoughts flooded my mind. Eventually I gave in before the flies did, and consumed what was left.

Thanking Amjad once more for the delicious meal, I left the Strip and made my way to Tasunke Stables. On my way, I passed by the King's school, which looked the same way when I fist saw it. A couple of Kings talked and laughed around, catcalling every cute chick or sometimes fella that passed on by.

Part of me urged to walk in there, see how things were going, mainly how the King was doing… and at the same time, the rest of me knew it wasn't such a good idea. Not because of the King mind you, but because of me.

And so was back at the stables, right in front of the tent where we fist met Waya. The man was inside, trying to open a bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla with his bare hands.

"Come on ya little-" He grunted, twisting the cap with all his might.

"Need some help with that, sir?" I offered out of the blue, which turned out not to be a good idea.

"Wha- who is?!" He shouted as he turned around and stumbled over some chairs. "Jesus fuck Court, ya scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry sir, didn't mean to." I apologized with an awkward smile. "Let me make up for that." I reached for the bottle and he handed it over. I dried the cap with my sleeve and tightly held it with my right hand. With a sudden and powerful twist!... the cap remained in place.

"Hmn… this is a tight one." I reached into my pockets and pulled out my switchblade. I forced it under the gap between and pried the thing open… still nothing. "Damn, what a stubborn little bottle this is." I could hear Waya giggling at my misfortune.

"Gimme that." Someone called out behind me, swiftly taking the bottle from me. "It's not about raw strength, dummies," Yoka criticized as I turned to her. "It's about manner" She pulled out her own knife, a military combat one, and used it as a lever. In one swift and graceful moment, she popped it right open, grabbing the cap and holding it between her fingers, like a coin. "I opened it, I keep it." She flicked the cap in the air, took it again, shoving it in her back pocket.

Waya took the bottle from her and took a long, refreshing chug. "Ahhh, thanks honey, nothin' like a cold bottle for this hot and sunny day, am I right?"

"That you are, pa." She was once again wearing her red flannel shirt and jeans, which made me question where the Ranger armor went.

The father gave her daughter a quick and casual side hug, and than a soft slap to the back off her head, sending her hair (Which was now free from the pony-tail) flying. She responded in a soft and innocent giggle, looking like someone completely different from the cold woman I met yesterday.

Once they were done with their cute little moment, Waya took another drink and sighed. "Well, you two have fun today, I gotta check on them animals." Waya told us, leaving the tent, shouting from the outside "Lova ya, baby girl!"

"Love ya too, pa!" She shouted back with a smile, which quickly died out when her eyes set down on me. There's the Yoka I know. "Took you long enough."

"Hey, I was hungry!" I didn't say, simply because it wasn't a good idea. There was also the unexpected visit, but I hadn't decided yet if it was worth sharing with others. The Mark of Caesar still weighed heavily in a hidden pocket I have in my duster.

"Who's going first?" I asked her, crossing my arms.

"You are, but not out here." She left the tent without waiting for me, so I had to pick up the pace.

We walked down to the abode across from the stables, a two-story medium sized house made of dark wood. It was a lot more well maintained and sophisticated than the buildings around it. As a matter of fact, it looked somewhat new, like it had been built just a few years ago. We walked up a porch and past the front door, walking into a short corridor that separated into the kitchen and the living room. Both rooms were connected by a open wall that served as a counter and table, and opposite to that was the staircase that lead into the second floor. In regards of decorations, the place looked like a typical mountain shack. Paintings of landscapes where hanged over some of the walls, and there were a few stuffed animals here and there. Most notably where little statuettes made with a many types of colorful rocks, similar of those found in Yoka's necklace. The statues came in two form: strange formations with strange marks inscribed on it's surface, or ragged humanoid shapes in battle stances, some carrying primitive weapons, others carrying guns.

I approached the one nearest to me, a small warrior with a long spear in his hands stood on a simple coffee table. This one was made of a black and white rough stone. "Hey Yoka, did you make these…"

By the time I had turned away from the statuette, she was halfway through the staircase. "Yoka?" I asked again, but with no response. She was gone.

Oh well, might as well make myself comfortable. I took a seat in the greenish sofa by the same coffee table. It didn't take long for the woman to come back. In her hand, she had a small box, no bigger than a palm. She set the thing down on the table and sat across from me.

"Alright, here is how we're doin' this." She began. "You tell me what the fuck is goin' on with your life, and I'll tell you what's happenin' with mine. Have we got ourselves a deal?"

Straight to the point huh? Maybe with her, I'll be able to avoid the usual melodrama I get from House, Benny and Vulpes. "It's a deal, but you gotta promise not to tell this to anyone else."

"Done" She simply said, leaning in on her seat.

And so I told her everything, and I mean **everything** until the point I left House for the last time today. I kept Vulpes out of it, but just because I was saving it for later. Yoka barely twitched as I told her my tale, not even at the Nipton or the REPCONN parts. I gave extra emphasis when explaining House and the missions he gave me. I was hoping Yoka could give me an alternative when it came to getting into The Fort.

"Wow Court, I must admit, never thought of you as the kind to go through so much shit." She commented, resting back on the sofa.

"I know, right!?" … "Wait, what is that supposed to mean?"

She didn't answer, instead, she remained in a deep, silent thought. I knew better than to interrupt her, so I just waited patiently once again. I couldn't help but wonder what was in her head right now. Judging her by the little info I have, I'd say Yoka is very calculated and realistic, so I imagined she was making a plan or something, maybe processing all that I told her.

"We'll figure that whole Legion situation later." She let out of the blue, startling me as I played around with one of the statuettes. I almost dropped the damn thing, but my fear for Yoka's wrath was greater than the pull of gravity. "First, I own you a story."

She reached for the small box she brought down earlier, flipping the seal open. Inside was a smal steel plate connected to a chain, laid carefully on black cushion. A Dog Tag.

Taking a closer look, the tag inscribed three things:

GATOGEWI

AHYOKA A.

1846835

O NEGATIVE

NCR 1ST RECON

I wanted to laugh.

Of course she was 1st Recon, why wouldn't she be? It explains her skills, it explains the gun, the suppressor , the armor and some more. I didn't even need to say anything, she already knew what my first question would be.

"No, I am not kiddin' you."

And I believed her. Why wouldn't I? There was so much evidence it's incredible I didn't figure it out earlier. And yet…

"Does you father know?" I chose as my first question, remembering the cute moment they had outside.

She looked down at her feet, and took a short breath. "Yes, he does, but I'm sure he'd rather not."

"Why?"

"As you might know, becomin' 1st Recon ain't easy, and one thing it takes from you is time. The years I spent away were tough for him." She explained. "He didn't want me to go in the first place, feared I'd have the same fate as mother… but I was stubborn, and left as soon as I hit eighteen. I don't mean to drag this old story out, so let me sum it all up. I joined as fresh recruit, hardened up in the rough military life, climbed up the lower ranks until I showed great proficiency, enough to get the 1st Recon's attention. The trainin' might have been the worst thing I faced in my entire life, other than my mother's death, but it was worth it. For thirteen years I served, and for thirteen years my father struggled alone, only having my young brother for company." She paused for a second, sucking in all the emotions she didn't want out. For how long has she been doing this, I wondered, bottling up her feelings? "When I finally came to my god damn senses, I returned home… and pa loved me all the same… he's a good man… and didn't deserve what I put him through." She paused again, although I think it was actually a conclusion.

"… I see." I murmured, bringing my hands together. "Sorry if… brought up some bad memories."

"There ain't no such thing as a bad memory." She spewed out coldly. "Only lessons to be carried."

A long and unnerving silence took over us, flooding the room like tar, heavy and dark. There was one question I wanted to make… but I knew for a fact I shouldn't. At least not now.

Instead I decided to move things along, preparing myself for what I was about to ask. My hesitance wasn't a question of pride you see, but a question of guilty.

"Yoka…" I called out in a low tone. She looked up at me, awaiting for the rest of the sentence. "…I need your help."

"With the whole House situation?"

"That too, but… what I really need right now is… to find Daniel and Sam." I managed to spill. "You saw what a disaster I was yesterday… I think you understand why I'm asking for your help."

"Strange, I thought you wanted to do things alone." She recalled.

"I know I said that," I replied, angry at yesterday's me. "but I was wrong. And not just because I didn't know House would ask so much of me, I needed help even before that… I was just too damn stubborn and stupid to admit it…" saying that felt like losing a game, a game I was playing against myself. But soon after, I felt somewhat relieved, like I had just puked something incredibly intoxicating.

"Do you feel bad for what you said to them?" she asked, almost as if she was interrogating me.

"Do I really need to answer that? Of course I feel like shit." I threw her an incriminating look. "You saw me waste myself at the Atomic Wrangler."

"Yeah, that I did…" she commented.. wait, was that a smile on her face? If it was, I had just missed it. "And what would you tell them if they were here?"

Despite the odd question, I didn't even have to think to answer it. "I'm sorry. I know it's not much, but it's all can think off. It won't erase what I said, but maybe, just maybe, letting them know that they were right and I was wrong is enough to make up for it."

"Heh, that was well said." She laughed and looked up past me, towards the kitchen. "Did you guys get all that?"

Hold up, you guys? What in the hell is going-

"Tell him that fat bag of caps he brought in would help with the apology!" a rough, hoarse and gravelly voice shouted from behind the kitchen, under the counter.

"Oh, maybe he'll buy me something nice to make up for it!" Proposed another voice, this one cheerful and playful.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I looked at Yoka and gave her a very angry frown. It's the kind of look I give when I realize I've been played. The woman on the other hand was doing her best to hold in a laugh.

"You goddamn-" I fought hard to build words. "For how long have they been here?"

Daniel and Samantha both rose from the kitchen, the two wearing such sly smiles it almost made me mad.

Almost.

"In Yoka's house?" Dan asked, making his way to me. "Since yesterday, after the party."

"As for behind the counter." Sam continued. "Ever since you got here."

I still didn't have any words to say. Those two devious little...

I couldn't be angry at them, as a matter of fact, I soon found myself laughing. "My God, I can't believe you two-"

"Don't point fingers at us," Daniel protested, nodding his head towards Yoka. "It was all her idea."

I turned to her, looking her in her grey eyes, which didn't seem as cold as before. "…Why?" I asked, still having difficulty to take grasp of the situation.

"You were actin' stupid yesterday." She told me, but not in a mocking way. "And you kept actin' stupid until you passed out on that floor. It would only have taken a pint of bad luck for you to have gotten yourself killed."

"So…" I wondered, trying to piece this idea without it sounding awkward. "You're saying you were worried?"

"Heh." She laughed ironically. "Don't put yourself on a high horse Court, I was curious. I wasn't sure why you three wanted into the Strip, but it sure wasn't for tourism."

She's got that right. The stakes were high before but now they're through the fucking roof.

"So there you have it Court." Daniel stepped, waving his hand around to point at everyone in the room. "A small possy to help you. Are we getting any complaints?"

"Look, Dan, I'm sorry for what last night, I won't make any excuses-"

"It's alright Court," Samantha interrupted me. "We forgive you!"

"No, don't." I refuted. "I fucked up and must own that. Don't forgive me, but give me another chance, a chance to make it up to you two."

"Hmn." Dan hummed as he scratched his chin. "I don't know, you did make a good point when you said there was no reason to stick around, I mean, facing the Legion isn't really gonna be cheap."

"Daniel!" Sam scolded him, giving him a nice punch in the arm.

"Woah, relax Sam!" he cried out, recoiling from the hit. "I was just shitting with him."

"Hah, I thought so." I commented, smiling wide at the friends I had ahead of me. I might have not shown it as much, but was I glad to have them back. "But it's true: I didn't have anything to give back to you guys, and that bothered me. But now…" I puled out a small bag of caps, which was filled to the top with caps. There must have been around three hundred of them in there. "This is just drop of what House has already given me, and he's promissed much more."

Everyone's eyes shimmered at the sight of the bag and the possibility of more, even Yoka, who seemed to care the least about the money.

Sam picked up the bag and weighed it on her hand. "Do you think he'll pay us all?"

"I'm sure he will. As a matter of fact, he encouraged me to get you guys on board." I explained. "He knows this ain't gonna be a walk in the park."

"Seems like even someone who has been locked away in a tower knows the might of the Legion." Daniel pointed out. "Speaking of House, is he really a giant computer? It does explain his age."

"That's what I've been thinkin' too." Yoka said, crossing her arms and relaxing back on the sofa. "What do you guys think he is, one of those AI things?"

"It's a possibility," Daniel offered "But I honestly have no idea what he could really be."

We didn't realize it at first, but we all had our heads turned towards Sam. Everyone knew that if someone had a good theory, it would be her. And she indeed seemed to have something in mind, as she just sat there, staring off in the distance. It took her a while, but she began muttering. "An AI… that is a possibility, but that would make him the most advanced Artificial Intelligence in the world, at least the ones I know of. To have such knowledge and personality and control all the Securitrons at the same time…" She paused, back to formulating more ideas. "…Maybe… no, that would be silly…"

"Hey Sam," I called her out. "Any and all clues are welcome here. And after all I've been through, nothing is too silly."

She hesitated for a while, but eventually gave in. "This will sound very unreal, something out of a Sci-Fi flick, but trust me, it could be true." She paused once more. "My dad and I are crazy for technology, you guys might have figured that out already." She told us with a quick and proud smile. "Other than fixing and creating stuff, we like to collect blue-prints, plans, instructions or anything related to machines and alike. We do it like some people collect comic book or special bottle caps, or-or fingers."

"Fingers?" Daniel asked, half curious, half disgusted.

"It's a long story." She waved him off. "Point is, we once bought some papers a guy from the East Coast found, and they seemed to be some Vault-Tech blueprints. One of the prints had unfinished instructions on how to build a preservation pod."

"What's that?" Yoka asked.

"It's exactly what it sounds like." She continued. "A pod that preserves whatever is inside for as long as it can manage, and that one was made specifically for a human being."

"So your theory is that the original Robert House is still alive," I concluded. "because of one of those machines?"

"Hey, the technology does exist, at least on paper." She argued. "RobCo. was at the top of robotics and engineering back in the day, so there's a chance they were the ones who developed the preservation pods for Vault-Tech in the first place."

"House did love Las Vegas." Daniel mentioned. "I remember hearing about it back before the bombs. He was born and raised in this city, and it grew into the colossus it was and still is with his help. He'd throw parties, events and even parades for celebrities and generally important people every month, aside from many events related to science."

Really? Strange, I don't see House as the parting type. Although, maybe he only did them to raise his fame and power. Now that seems more like the House I've met.

"Yeah, that's what I heard." Samantha complemented. "The fact that both Old-Word House and giant computer House both show lot of love for this city is more evidence that they may be the same person."

Sam raised good points, aided by Daniel's history lesson. Is it really that hard to believe we are really looking at an ancient man who's somehow found a way to cheat death? I mean, look at what he has accomplished so far, both before and after the war.

"In the end it doesn't matter if we're looking at the original Robert House, or some AI copycat, or whatever." I concluded, taking the lead of this conversation. ''What matters is that he has the power, the caps, and the resources to rule Vegas, something he's apparently been doing for quite some time now." I slowly looked at each of them in the eye as I spoke. "Now I don't know about you guys, but he offers quite an opportunity here, and I'm not just talking about the caps."

"They are a nice extra though." Daniel quickly interrupted.

"Of course," I happily agreed. "But caps won't mean shit if we're all to busy being hung up on a cross. The Legion is coming to take Hoover Dam, and I'd much rather have some stuck-up old capitalist than that imperialistic fuck from across the Colorado ruling this city."

"I think you speak for all of us." Sam commented, followed by nods from the rest of the crew.

"Does that mean I can count on you guys?" That question felt like hot iron as it spilled from my mouth. I have to admit, I was anxious to hear their answer, and I was quickly reminded how much I hate that feeling.

Thankfully for me, Yoka grew a large and wide smile on her face, which was as scary as it was energetic. "You think I'm gonna pass up a chance to fuck with the Legion? Not in a million years."

"I'm with Yoka on this one." Dan followed.

Sam didn't even need to say anything. She just jumped up from her seat with big and loud "Yoooohooo! Super Anti-Legion squad is a go!" She grabbed Yoka by the hand and pulled her across the room, all the way to where Dan and I were. She then wrapped both arms around everyone's shoulder and locked us in a large hug. "This is going to be super fun!"

"Ok, ok! I think that's enough Sam!" Daniel flinched as he was squeezed between her arms and us. Once she finally let us go, Dan caressed his neck where she had pressed on the hardest. Turning to her, he gave a worried look. "Look girl, I know this is exciting and all, but do remember what we're facing here. The Legion does not play around." He threw me a quick glance, which confirmed that he was thinking of the same thing I was.

Nipton.

"I know, I'm sorry." She apologized, ashamed. "It's just that I-"

"Hey, relax." He interrupted her by messing her dreadlocks around. "You don't need to justify. Just promise you will be careful."

She smiled and nodded. "I promise." And with that, the ghoul smiled back.

With that cute little moment done, I once again got everyone's attention. "I think we're all set then. I say we begin planning our next steps after everyone gathers what they'll want to take with them."

"Wait," Sam questioned. "Where are we going?"

"Well," I replied, thinking of the things House offered. "I think It's best if I introduce you all to your new boss."


	26. Chapter 26: Movin' Out

Chapter 26: Movin' Out

I didn't want to say woman always take a long time to get ready, but Ahyoka wasn't really helping her case here. I mean, yes, I know she's probably packing a shit ton of military, 1st Recon stuff on her bag, but this is ridiculous. Daniel and I have been sitting out here for an hour!

Samantha offered to help and Yoka welcomed her to, and with that, me and my ghoulish friend were left to wait for the girls on the porch. For the first few minutes, I cleared a few doubts he still had about the whole House thing, along with the Yes Man story. After that, we shared a story or two we had about our travels. I told him about a time in my early carrier as a Courier when I was hired to trade cards between a man and a woman in Shady Sands. At first, the contents of the letters were very romantic, and the cheesy kind of romance too, making it obvious that they were lovers. But as the days went along, they became colder and colder, evidencing that their love was growing stale. Things really took a turn when the girl found out the man cheated on her, and from that point on, the letter's straight up turned into death treats. The letters kept going from end to the other for about a week, until they suddenly stopped. A couple of days later I heard cheater was murdered by the chick, who had pretty much gone insane.

"Jesus Christ!" He cried out. "What fucked up kind of story was that?"

"One that is unfortunately true." I replied. "I'm sure I'll never forget it."

"And now neither will I." Dan let out a long sigh, like he's been holding his breath throughout the whole thing, and relaxed back on the bench we were sitting on. He took a long look at the sky, as we both waited in silence for some minutes.

I rested my eyes on the man beside me, analyzing him up and down. He's usually very stiff and upright, even when he's sitting or lying down. But now, he looked a lot more loose, like he had finally dropped a large weight from his back. I think I know what that weight is.

"This is it, huh?" I asked him, and he looked at me confused. I guess I should elaborate. "Nipton. This is a chance to avenge them."

He turned back towards the sky and let out another long breath. "I guess so…" We remained in silence for a couple of minutes more, contemplating what came and what was to come. We had both travelled far, seen plenty, faced a lot. It was good to have someone with life-style similar to yours, because it's someone you can relate to. Sure, we had our many differences, but at the core, I see a lot of me in Daniel and vice-versa. I wonder if he thinks the same way.

"I never apologized to you, did I?" He suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Apologized? For what?"

"The breakdowns." He simply answered. "Nipton, the REPCONN basement, Bolder City. You said it yourself Court, there's a pattern to it." He stopped, with no intent on continuing.

"And you don't want to talk about it." I concluded.

"No, I don't." He affirmed my suspicions. "I want to forget, and talking just make me remember."

His body wasn't the only thing was scarred. I know what that feels like, and I too know what it's like to want to forget. I was hoping time could clean it all away, that I'd get over it, that I'd learn from my mistakes and move on; but if Daniel, a man who has lived and suffered for far longer than I have still pains over past traumas, than what hope do I have?

Before I could lose myself in melancholy and self-pity (again), Samantha jumped from the door and into the porch. "Aaaannnd we're done!" In her back was a large camping backpack that almost reached the top of the doorway.

Yoka followed right behind her with another backpack, but this one considerably smaller. "Time to move out?"

"I think so, but before we go…" I wasn't too sure how to ask this. "Yoka, are sure you want to leave-"

"My father again?" She completed my question. I hate how people keep doing that. "When I left all those years ago, I abandoned my home to fight the enemy on his. But now, things are the other way around. I've talked to my pa already, and we're in agreement."

"For as long as you're feeling alright about this." I concluded, satisfied with myself and my new team. "Alright people, time to meet your employer."

"What do you mean they can't go to the Penthouse?" I shouted at Victor, who was covering his sides as if he was blocking ears he didn't have.

"Sorry pardner," He apologized. "But Mr. House was clear on them rules: Only the Courier gets to meet the big man. I'm really sorry, but ya'll are clear to got up to the Presidential Suit and the Sky-bar.

There are two kinds of people in this world, the ones who would shout "Let's go to the Suite!" and the ones would shout "Let's go to the Sky-Bar!". Dan and I are the latter.

"Come on!" Sam complained. "We've got these two giant bags to unpack!"

"But... It's a bar... in the sky!" I argued, convinced that what I said was more than enough, I mean.. it's called a sky-bar, it's gotta be great, no?

"You two seriously wanna get shitfaced now?" Yoka complained. "We've just arrived and it's not even past midday."

"Alright, you win." Daniel gave in, not too happy about it. "But we don't leave until we check that place out."

The Presidential Suite was two floors below House's Penthouse. Thankfully, the Lucky 38's elevator was quite spacious, enough to fit the four of us plus the baggage. With a ding, the doors opened up into short but wide corridor, which ended into two very fancy wooden doors.

"Oh… Wow…" The fort of us said as we walked into the suite, although mansion would have been a better description of the place. We were up on a balcony that overlooked a large lobby with mutiple sofas, tables and fancy decorations, all of them as clean as the stuff in House's penthouse. The lobby could be accessed by two staircases, each curving around so their bottoms faced each other on the lower level. Up on this balcony were four doors, half on each side, while down below were two large double doors opposed to each other, along with a door on the center of the back wall. Spread in a some corners were a couple of intercoms, each with a number pads a button labeled "Reception".

Did I say back wall? Because I actually meant window. Like House's Penthouse, the multiple panes of glass went from floor to ceiling, giving way to a fantastic view of the Strip below. Outside that window was another balcony, this one with a couple of sets of tables and chairs, a few ….., two hammocks amd most notably, a small kitchen, complete with a sink, fridge, stove and grill.

By the way, did I mention the pool?

I'm sure we were all eager to explore all the rooms, but we just couldn't take our eyes from the huge square of water sitting right in the middle of the lobby, with two marble pillars in the middle constantly pouring that clear, glistening liquid from the top a letting it slide down.

"Oh… my… God!" Samantha screamed with ecstasy, running down the stairs and stopping just before the water. She looked at us with face of disbelief, than at the pool, then at us again, then the pool, and she kept on with that pattern a couple of times as she tried to formulate something to say. "Th-Th-There's…. There's so much water!"

"That's an understatement." Yoka grinned as she went down to join her friend.

"So this is what a pool looks like…" I thought out loud. "Never thought I'd see one." I mean, I have seen some before, but all of them empty of course. People just don't have the water to waste on leisure. Except for House that is.

"Can-can we get in it?" Sam sparked "I-I mean, is there something we have to do before, like- like, I don't know?!" She was completely overwhelmed and mesmerized by the water colossus ahead of us, and she wasn't alone.

I didn't want to admit it, but had no idea what to do either. Can we just walk in, like when you mean to take a bath in a lake or river? And how do we get in? In the very occasion that I find a suitable place to bathe myself I go skinny dipping, granted that I'm alone, and I was always alone. I guess there's some specific clothing for bathing, like I once saw in an Old-World poster for a clothing store, but I doubt anyone has any.

Thankfully, Daniel and his endless knowledge of the world that once was came to the rescue. "Don't you people think about getting in there before taking a shower!" He warned us. "The water circles around the pool for a long time before it gets treated again, so if we just walk in with this dirt and grime on us, it won't be long before we're swimming in brown sludge.

Dan was right, we were all very filthy, but it's not like we didn't know that. You tell me you haven't bathed in a week and I'll be jealous of your hygiene. If you count the days I was knocked out cold, I haven't in bathed around in about month. But when you're too busy killing, almost dying and surviving, you and no one else cares about how you smell. As a matter of fact, I think everyone just got used to it.

"If there's a pool, there's definitely some showers 'round here." Yoka pointed out.

It took a little effort, but after promising we'd take a bath later, we convinced Sam to let go and come explore the rest of the place with us. We began with the lower level. On the northern side, past one of the double doors was a recreation room and bar combo. A square of sofas that surrounded a low table were in front of a L shaped bar counter, with all kinds of drinks placed along the wall behind it, with two fridges below. Between the bar and the sofas was pool table, with the cue and balls found on a stand by the wall. There were also two vending machines by the wall, one for Nuka-Cola and one for Sunset Sarsaparilla (The two of which were full of ice-cold beverages.). And just like the lobby, one the curved walls that separated us from the outside where made of glass panes, a pattern that continued for the whole suite.

The southern room was obviously the dinner room, with long rectangular table that could seat a total of eight people. Behind the table was the kitchen, with two stoves, two sinks, three fridges and a crap ton of cabinets, all filled with plates, silver and cooking ware, bowls, pans, basically everything for your all your cooking and eating needs. Most impressive though was the fact that one of the fridges was filled with Old-World foods and snacks, like Fancy-Lads Snack Cakes, Salsburgy Steak, Sugar Bombs and many others. While you might expect them to be rotted and way past their validation date, every item looked as new as the furniture. There was some ice stuck to some of the boxes, indicating that they were frozen just a while ago. Maybe House had his bots move the food in here earlier today.

Now back upstairs, we first checked the doors by the southern side, above the dinner room. We quickly found out both doors lead to short corridors, each with three more doors, and past them were bedrooms. They all looked the same: well decorated, with a double bed in the center of the back wall, with red carpets and sheets, wooden wardrobes, mirrors, a personal desk and chair and a bathroom (all of which had warm showers). We all picked a room at random and dropped our luggage off.

Lastly, we crossed towards the northern side, which also had two doors. One lead to some sort or armory, the strangest room so far. It looked very out of place, as the rest of the suite has a red, white and blue pallet, giving off a very luxurious and homely vibe. As for this room, it was mostly yellow and grey, with metal panels, cabinets and stands for placing guns and weapons, along with many different ammo boxes neatly organized and labeled for each ammo type. And I can't forget to mention those six mannequins lined up along the wall, supposedly there to showcase clothing and/or armor. It goes without saying that they were making me very uncomfortable, taking me back to those dreams, so after a quick view, I paced out of the room.

And finally we visited the last room, occupied by a large circular table right in the middle, which was in turn surrounded by many chairs. On the middle of said table was projector pointing towards as retractable white screen. By the walls were a couple of filing cabinets, which upon inspection contained a bunch of different camera rolls, supposedly for the projector. Most of them were maps, prints, historical photo sets and general information about RobCo., New and Las Vegas, the casinos of the Strip and the United States as a whole. The last cabinet though was full of old movies, and although I didn't give them much mind at first, Dan definitely seemed to show interest.

Done with our tour, we were all sitting on a chair around the large table from the last room (which we decided to call the meeting room). Sam was playing around with the projector, switching between a bunch of maps depicting New Vegas, or rather, Las Vegas. Each map came in a different style or format, showing everything from notable spots, streets, the local topography (whatever that was), the sewer systems and much more.

"There are so many maps in here!" Sam gleamed enthusiastically as she pointed at building halfway through the Strip. "Did you guys know there was a casino called Caesar's Palace before the bombs?"

"What happened to it?" I asked her while trying to make sense of the agglomeration of lines and words on that projection.

"We passed by it on the way here, but it's an empty spot now." She explained. "Maybe house had it demolished."

"Probably." Dan commented. "I mean, I can see why he'd do it."

"Speakin' of Caesar." Ahyoka said as she crossed her legs on top of the table, giving as a good look at the sole of her combat boots. "We better figure out how we're doin' this."

All eyes fell on me, as they seemed to expect me to have a plan. "I'm open to suggestions." I simply told them, I had an idea in mind, but I wanted to hold that as a last resort.

"I don't how we're doing it," Daniel was first to speak. "But I do know how we're not."

"Right." Yoka agreed. "It's obvious that a direct approach is out of the question, and I don't think we'll have much luck tryin' to sneak in."

"What about disguises?" I offered, remembering one time I got into a… show for adult audiences by dressing myself as one of the staff. "We steal some Legion armor and just walk up in there."

"That could work," Yoka replied. "But that'd still leave us with one problem: getting to the Fort in the first place."

"Oh yeah!" Sam sparked. "We gotta find a way to cross the Colorado, don't we?"

"That's right." Daniel confirmed, getting up from his chair and reaching for a file cabinet. "I know where we can find some boats, but another problem comes to surface."

He grabbed a film roll and passed it to Sam, who replaced it with the one on the projector. Now, and entire map of the Mojave was on the screen. The ghoul crossed the room and rested his finger on a stop far south of the Dam, on the western shores of the Colorado River.

"Cottonwood Cove." I thought out loud (an annoying habit of mine) before Dan could say it himself. I bad quite the chill going up my spine just by remembering the meeting I had earlier.

"You know it?" He asked, a little surprised.

"Not really… but someone mentioned it to once." My eyes slowly drifted around the room, until they landed on Yoka's. The lights may have been off, but her pupils seemed to shine through the darkness like a flashlight through the fog. She knew there was something I wasn't telling them, so I better spill the beans before her suspicions get worse.

"There's… something I haven't told you guys yet, and with good reason." I explained to them carefully. "And I think it might help us."

I showed them the Mark of Caesar and carefully went over my encounter with Vulpes, almost describing things word by word, not to miss a single detail.. Daniel was clearly disturbed by the story, probably because he wished he was there to bash Vulpes's skull with his bare hands. The girls on the other hand paid close attention to what I had to say, mainly Yoka.

"That sure puts a new perspective on things." She said, overthinking new possibilities.

"No shit." Daniel followed with certain distress. "Not to stir more conflict, but I kinda wish you had told us this sooner Court."

"Like I said, I had a good reason." I shot back at him. "I was hoping we'd find some other way so I could just forget it even happened."

"I know, but that's not what worries me the most." He continued, sitting back down. "If what you told us is true, it means that Caesar and that Vulpes will have man watching over us. We'll have to watch our steps from now on."

"So what are we going to?" Sam asked, with a look of concern. "I don't see how that Mark of Caesar could help us. Even if Court agrees to go with them, I doubt they'll show us the same courtesy."

A ghoul and two woman, one of which is NCR. Sam's right, there's no way we can let the Legion do as much as even set their eyes on them. Daniel would be executed and the girls made into slaves, things that made me shiver just by imagining.

"I think I have a plan." Yoka said, granting attentive looks from all of us, eager to hear what she had come up with. "First, we'll need a new set of clothes."

Yoka's plan had a set up so complicated it almost wasn't worth it. But then again, it was the best we had come up with.

I'm sure everyone was thinking the same thing, wherever they were right now. Me, I was inside my bathroom, removing layer after layer of clothing and accessories from my body. I threw all my clothes to the ground and carefully placed my necklace over the sink. I also removed the leather pads I gained from Chet, all the way back in Goodsprings. I carefully slid my finger over a ripped piece on the shoulder-pad, where I had almost been hit by a Powder Ganger. God, that feels like ages ago, but it had barely been a week. My guns, belts and pouches were outside, all laid on the incredibly comfy king-sized bed I now had for myself. I was still somewhat sore from last night's rough and short sleep, and as much as wished to do nothing but collapse in that soft mattress and sleep my life away, we had things to do.

But not before we all take a nice shower though.

Once naked, I eagerly stepped under the shower head. Two handles were before me, one with a red tip, and the other blue. I didn't take a genius to figure it all out, but it still felt like discovering something brand new. I don't actually remember the last time I had access to an actual shower, much less one with hot water. Like I mentioned before, I usually shower in rivers or lake, and since I usually stay at the cheapest inns and motels, baths aren't in the package.

After a few light burns and freezes, I managed to get the water in a comfortable temperature, not too hot to hurt but just enough to steam up the bathroom in a few minutes. I took deep breath and stepped under the stream.

And oh my God, it felt like I was in heaven. A sudden relaxation washed over my body, loosening the muscles I didn't realize were stiff. Like noodles on boiling water, my legs became wobbly and weak, almost dropping me to the floor. I grabbed onto the soap holder (Which was occupied by a pink bar, also kindly provided by House along with other body products) and regained my balance. I looked at the floor to let the water run down my hair, and as I stared at my feet I watched a months worth of dirt and grime slide down my body.

I don't mean to overdramatize this rather banal situation, but it almost felt like something religious, like I was being cleansed by a godly liquid. I looked up to the ceiling and let out a short prayer, thanking God for this moment.

I don't know how much time has passed because I was too busy in a trance to count, but I must have been in there for a long time, because I soon heard a knock on my door.

"Court?" It was Daniel. "Don't tell me you died in there."

"I'm good." I shouted back, but I was so dosed of by the warm water that I must have sounded the opposite of good.

"Don't take too long, we're all waiting for you." And with that I heard him walk away.

It took some strength, but I mustered enough to regain my posture and finish this bath. I rubbed the soap all over myself until the foam it created stopped being brown and my skin began to smell like roses (I don't actually know what roses smell like, that's just what it said on the soap package). After that, I poured the creamy content from two bottles I found along with the soap. One was called shampoo, and the other was a conditioner. I've seen bottle of these things littered around the floor before, but had no idea they were used on your hair. Following the instructions on the back, I scrubbed my head until I felt it was clean enough, then washed the substance away.

After I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, I began to smell the result of my work, and I liked what it smelled like. It was sweet and somewhat flowery, and although artificial, it gave me some weird peace of mind. Who knew being so clean felt so good?

To appreciate myself some more, I walked into my room and stood ahead of the tall mirror on the wall. I scanned my now hygienic, lean but somewhat muscular body. Seems like I lost a little bit of tan, perhaps because I've been travelling a lot less than before. Dad might have given me some of his light skin, but I couldn't beat mom's genes, who'd make me as brown as she was when I got just enough sunshine. She'd say the sun would wake up that Latin spirit we had inside of us.

Damn, that bath really must have softened me, I'm thinking about my parents. I quickly shook those thoughts away and walked to the bathroom to take my clothes, but froze as I realized there was a new set on my bed. A light brown vest, a light grey cotton t-shirt and dark jeans were laid next to my hat, but most interesting was the wide brown poncho with white lines creating some sort of geometrical tribal patterns that was resting under them. Was I supposed to wear these?

With the jeans on, I walked into the corridor with the rest of the clothes in my hand. Daniel's room was open, but as a respect for his privacy, I stopped just before the doorway.

"Hey Dan," I called out. "You there?"

"Hold on." He replied, soon walking out into the corridor. Instead of the leather armor he wore ever since I met him, the ghoul was now in green army jacket over a white sleeveless shirt, cargo pants and combat boots. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Oh wow" I muttered, appreciating the new look. It fit him well, giving a sort of casual but serious vibe to him. "You look good."

"Uh… Thanks?" He said awkwardly. "Is that everything?"

"Eh, no." I continued, raising the clothes in front of him. "Did you leave these in my room earlier?"

"Yep, those are for you. Yoka told me to bring them to you" He explained. "She wanted everyone in new vestments before we left."

"What?" I questioned, giving the outfit another look. "Why?"

"Two reasons." A woman spoke from behind my back, and I didn't need to recognize the voice to know that whenever a girl snuck up on me, it was most definitely Yoka. "First, your old clothes are as filthy as a forgotten Brahmin pen, and differently than the rest of us, you don't have spares." She took the shirt from my hands and pressed it against my chest, measuring it's size against mine. She was in her Ranger getup, just without the helmet. Around her neck was that colorful stone necklace and her hair was tied into a ponytail. "Second, we need to stay inconspicuous, at least until we find a way to get the Legion spies of our asses. A change of looks should help with that a little." Satisfied with the size, she threw the shirt over my shoulder. "Besides, I think these are gonna look good on you."

"Where did you even get these clothes in the first place?" I asked, trying to untangle the poncho, which was turned inside out.

"They belong to my little brother, but since he won't be using them for a while, you can have 'em." She explained and gave a pat before turning and leaving into the suite's lobby.

Dan gave me a slick smile and shrugged before returning to his room. Seems like I didn't have much of a choice here. I too went back to my room and tried on the new outfit. It looked just as good as my own clothes, which I appreciated. As a plus, the poncho would do good against the sun, and it all fit well with my belts and holsters. Mighty kind of her to take her time to pack some extra clothes for me.

I met the rest of the guys down in the lobby, on the sofas by the pool. Samantha looked pretty much the same, she was still wearing her green shirt, but this time she had a pink jacket was over it and light blue jeans. With her tool belt, Sam was like the world's most well dressed engineer. Everyone looked on par, like we were just about to take part in a fashion festival, except it would be quite a violent festival, since everyone had guns, belts and holster all over said clothes.

"Alright Yoka, you played your game of dress up." I complained as I walked down the stairs to join them. "How's that gonna help with our problems?"

"I had a talk with your robot _pardner_ through the intercom," she mocked the word "parner", which was made extra funny by how she has the same accent as Victor. "And he told me the 38 has a couple of hidden exists spread around the buildin'. Now I'm sure they left at least one spy watching the main entrance to the 38, so I say we take these alternate exists and blend in with the crows of tourists."

"Good plan." Daniel commented. "But what then. I'm sure the Legion has more spies around, which will just make it a matter of time before they find us."

"That's why we have to find them first." Yoka continued. "Now here's the rest of the plan. Court and Daniel will head on outside of Freeside and wait for Sam and I as we ready the horses."

"Oh!" Sam jumped on her seat. "Do I get my own mount now?"

"Uhh… How a about we call it a rental." Yoka said to Sam's dismay.

"Seems like a lot of secrecy for no outcome." I told her, taking a seat across from Samantha.

"Actually, this is a very good plan." Daniel argued. "If we leave without grabbing their attention we'll just continue with our plan with nothing to worry about."

"But if they do find and follow us," Yoka picked up. "It will much easier to find them on the empty road."

I see. Now that I had all the info it did seem like a good idea, I just wish it wasn't necessary. For our first task as group, we'll need to get the Legion off our ass since we cannot have them learning what we're planning. It wouldn't be easy, but it was sure gonna hurt those crimson fucks if we pull it off.

"We'll, if you two think things will work out, then I trust it will." I told the two as I got up. "Now let's get moving. I want to reach Forlorn Hope before nightfall."

Sadly, the Sky-Bar would have to wait some more. We had more pressing matters ahead of us.

After these two long days in Vegas, it was time to leave this wonderful city for a while. We had each packed our necessities, from things like weapons and ammo to food and water before leaving the Lucky 38. As planned, we took different side exits in ten minute gaps, blending into the crowd as soon as we could. I was the third person to leave, after Yoka and Sam and before Daniel. With caution, I surfed along the waves of tourists, jumping from group to group with my head down, enough to hide my face and allow me to see what's ahead at the same time.

It wasn't long before I left the Strip, and soon after, Freeside. I rested against the scrap wall just next to the gate and took a good look around. No one seemed suspicious, and I didn't think I was followed, so maybe there was some hope for us. The only people around me were a group of three Kings and pair of mercs. A caravan walked into Freeside at one point, but I don't think they noticed me as they passed. I also took special attention to the ruined buildings surrounding me, where anyone could get a good vantage point over my location. I didn't really see anything, but it didn't stop me from being nervous.

"Hey." Greeted Dan, making me jump in surprise since I was focused on the surroundings.

"Oh, hey, you startled me." I told him as I took a step to the side, giving him some wall to rest on. "Everything ok with you?"

He settled on my right and began looking around just like I was doing. "Yeah, I think we're in the clear. Now we just have to wait for the girls."

"Dan, are you sure this the best thing to do?" I questioned my friend, worried. "I mean, there have to be better ways to get our hands on some Legion armor."

He seemed a little anxious too. "I wish there was Court, but the Legion is smart. They attack any storages containing their equipment just to counteract any attempts of infiltration, so unless you know a professional tailor-slash-armorer, the only way we're getting that armor is from taking it fresh. Besides, I doubt you'll find them without bullet holes all over the platting."

"Yeah, I get all that, but walking into a warzone…"I said, not too convinced. "Fuck it. I get to kill Legion, I don't even know why I'm complaining."

Dan smiled at me and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "That's the spirit." He then looked over my shoulder and laid his dead eyes on something. "Sam's here… and Waya too, but I don't see Yoka with them."

Sam rode from the gate to us on a strong and tall light-brown stallion, while pulling Nina with one hand while guiding her horse with the other. Waya was on a beautiful white horse, pulling Cadillac along.

"There they are!" Sam shouted and pointed towards us before galloping her way to our side. "Hey guys! Did you two wait long?"

"Not really," I answered as Yoka's father joined Samantha's side and jumped off his horse. "Waya, thank you for bringing Nina." He handed me her reins and I brought her close to give her a quick hug. "Hey girl! Have you missed me? Cause I sure missed you!"

She answered me with a nice and loud neigh and a push with her muzzle.

Waya laughed and gave Nina two pats on the side. "No problem friend. She's been a good girl these last two days. I also made sure she's happy, well fed and ready for the road. Same thing for the other horses."

Daniel grabbed the man's hand and gave it a nice shake. "Thanks Waya, I don't think we can thank you enough for this. As for Yoka…"

"I've already had that talk Daniel." He interrupted, a little melancholic. "Now I ain't gonna say I'm alright with everythin' but… she's told me what's at stake here, and as much as I hate see her leave again… I'm just happy to see she ain't going too far, and most important, she ain't going alone."

I felt a little guilty, because in a way, it was me who put her on this path in the first place, even if in the end it was her decision to come along. I just made sure to promise myself I'd not drag them into too much trouble, even if our situation was dire. I know what we had planned was the opposite of safe, but at least I knew I wasn't working with any amateurs.

"Don't worry Waya," I assured him. "We'll keep your daughter safe."

"Now don't you go making any shitty promises." He mocked me, laughing loudly as he often does. But then his expression suddenly turned serious and cold, almost like Yoka's. "What you're gonna do for me is you're gonna make sure your shooting's straight so you can kill as many of those red sons-of-bitches as you can, do you hear me?"

I recoiled and stiffened my body. His tone was so commanding I felt the urge to salute him. "Will do, sir."

"Good! now you three better get going." He continued as he climbed back up on his white stallion. "The ride to Forlorn Hope is not too short, and Yoka won't like it if you guys lag behind."

"She isn't coming with us huh?" Daniel asked no one in particular. "Why am I not surprised. Any idea where she's gone?"

Sam leaned in closer from atop her horse. "After talking to Waya and prepping some stuff, she told me to tell you guys that we're supposed to go on without her, and that she'd find us on the way."

"I know my girl," Waya added. "and I'm sure she's got somethin' in mind. I suggest you just do what she told ya'll."

I'm not a fan of being left in the dark, something people seem to love doing to me, but it's no use standing around wondering what that woman has cooked up in that crazy head of hers. I climbed up Nina's saddle and made myself comfortable before riding next to Waya.

"I guess this is farewell." I told him, offering a handshake.

"Let's not make it a long one, huh?" He answered with a tight grip.

Sam and Daniel said their farewells before Waya entered Freeside once again. We stormed off along the scrap walls, heading south towards the outskirts of the town where we'd pour into the desert, travelling under the hot burning sun without a shade for miles to come.

"So, what his name?" I asked Samantha as we passed the last few buildings of the Vegas ruins. Camp Forlorn Hope was located east of the road that connected the 188 to Novac, so we were pretty much backtracking through the way we came a few days ago. You might think it's boring to pass the same scenery for a second time, but to me there's nothing like a familiar road to calm my nerves. It's almost like returning to an old home.

"Ha, I thought you'd never ask!" she answered proudly. "Waya told me this one was called Dust, I'm guessing it's because of his color. Not what I would have picked, but if that's his name, that's his name." Recognizing that we were talking about him, Dust let out a short buff and whipped his crest around.

It was windy afternoon, warm but not infernally so. When the wind picked up speed, sand would lift from the ground and hit everything with soft but sharp strength, which would be quite an annoyance if we weren't high up on our horses and covered with protective clothing. Sam was now wearing a short straw hat while Daniel's bald head was out under the Sun like always. He claims the heat doesn't really bother him that much, probably because his nerves were permanently damaged or something.

Everything worked in favor for this to be a very relaxing trip, which was quite the luxury in my book. Unfortunately, a shadow of fear slowly gloomed over us the more we traveled. Not only was I on edge due to the possibility of being followed, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking what would a fight with the Legion would look like. As far as weaponry goes, they are far from dangerous. Most Legionnaires have access to no more than a sword or a spear, with a few pistols or rifles amongst higher ranking officers. But one thing Caesar's army has is numbers. Overwhelming numbers, enough to match the NCR's superior technology and equipment. I'm not a fan of fighting many people at once, I guess my weaponry of choice is to blame. Give me six men to shoot and I'll take care of them no problem, start going over that number and I'll have to get creative.

At least I won't be going at it alone. I have some friends to back me up, and if Yoka's relationship with the NCR is of any relevance, we might get them to lend us a hand too.

 _*bang* *bang*_

Two soft gunshot echoed through emptiness, coming from right behind us.

"Did you guys hear that?" I asked my friends, who had clearly heard it too.

"Yeah." Dan answered, turning his horse around. "It might have nothing to do with us, but it's worth checking out"

With the ghoul on the lead, we rode till we reached almost reached the top of a short hill, leaving our horses and sneaking our way forward until we could see over said hill. In the far distance, two saddled horses sprinted madly on the opposite direction, and just in front of them, a figure loaded two seemingly unconscious individuals onto the back of a third horse.

"Court," Dan whispered. "There's a pair of binoculars on the middle zipper of my backpack. Grab them and take a look at what's happening over there."

And so I did as he asked. With both eyes on the lens, I scanned the scenery until I found my target. The figure was indeed loading two unmoving bodies onto the back of his horse. It was only after he was done with that and got on top of his animal that I was capable of taking a look at the long duster and red visor of the NCR Ranger armor he, or better yet, she was wearing.

"Oh God, there she goes again." I mumbled, removing the binoculars from my face.

"Court?" Sam called out. "What's going on?"

I threw her the binoculars and stood up. "See for yourself."

Her face quickly grew a smile seconds after looking through. Daniel was smirking too, not needing to see to know what was going on.

"Come on," said the ghoul. "Let's see what our Ranger has got for us."


End file.
